26-year-old undergoes rare cartilage implant at Safdarjung hospital

The sports injury centre (SIC) of Safdarjung Hospital performed a cartilage implant surgery on Monday. With this, it has joined the list of a few hospitals, which have performed such a complex and rare surgery in the country.

The sports injury centre (SIC) of Safdarjung Hospital performed a cartilage implant surgery on Monday. With this, it has joined the list of a few hospitals, which have performed such a complex and rare surgery in the country.

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While operating upon Keshav Kumar, 26, six weeks ago, for a ligament tear injury sustained in the right knee in an accident, surgeons at the centre found that the covering of his knee joint — cartilage — was badly damaged. If not treated, it would have resulted in a damaged knee.

“We found the underlying bone exposed during the surgery. So, we took a small piece of the cartilage and sent to a laboratory in Mumbai for culture,” said Dr Deepak Chaudhary, head, SIC, who led the team.

Cell culture is a complex process in which cells are grown under controlled conditions in a laboratory. The larger proportion of cells developed is then used to reconstruct the damaged part. “The reconstructive surgery to fill the damaged part was performed on Monday,” said Dr Vibhu Bahl, assistant professor, SIC, who was part of the team.

Kumar is recovering well. He needs at least eight weeks to recover fully, said doctors. “This is a first-of-its-kind surgery in Delhi. Only a few surgeries have been performed in India, mainly in Mumbai, in the past couple of years,” said Dr Chaudhary.

The surgery costs about Rs 1.5 lakh.