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Replacement surgery at KGMU ‘elbows out’ pain from farmer’s arm
Orthopaedic surgeons at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) relieved Veer Bhadra of pain and stiffness with their first elbow replacement surgery.
A 56-year-old farmer, Veer Bhadra, from Ayodhya, ate food with his right hand and with comfort, something he wasn’t able to do for the last one year due to stiffness in his right elbow.
Orthopaedic surgeons at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) relieved Veer Bhadra of pain and stiffness with their first elbow replacement surgery.
“Elbow replacement isn’t common, and this case was complicated as arthritis resulted in stiffness of the arm at 90 degrees from shoulder. The complications started with a malunion of fracture (A malunion fracture occurs when a large space between the displaced ends of the bone have been filled in by new bone) that he suffered three-years back and arthritis worsened it,” said prof Shailendra Singh, operating surgeon and senior faculty at the department of orthopaedic, KGMU.
“Life had become difficult as I was unable to do anything. Pain often kept me awake during the nights. Three days after the operation, I can lift my hand to my mouth and eat,” said the patient with a smile.
He was operated upon on Tuesday. Prof Singh said, “In majority of the cases arthritis is caused in all body joints but in his case the cause of arthritis was malunion of humerus bone.”
Prof Singh’s team included anesthetist Dr Vineeta Singh, and Dr Manoj Chaurasia.
“We replaced the damaged elbow with the one made up of titanium cobalt and plastic. He can now fully move his elbow and has resumed his daily activities,” said Prof Singh.
Explaining the challenge in elbow replacement, prof Singh said elbow joint is surrounded by nerves and arteries, which can be injured during surgery.
