Chennai :

At 84, when most people would decide to make peace with a bad knee, J D Ramanathan decided he would not let the pain be an inconvenience.

Doctors at Apollo Hospitals performed an intricate knee replacement surgery on the elderly man who is up and about now. The patient had chronic rheumatoid arthritis for several years. “His family members were skeptical but he opted for knee replacement surgery.

“We performed a minimally invasive knee surgery and he could walk the very next day,” said senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Madan Mohan Reddy.

Orthopaedic surgeons said recent advances in minimally invasive surgery offer older patients more options for spine, hip, knee and neck care. “Studies have shown that elderly patients who undergo invasive procedures experience higher complication rates and longer recovery periods. But minimally invasive procedures have been game changers,” said Dr Reddy. He added that the oldest patient to undergo hip replacement at the hospital was a 94-year-old man.

Many surgeons are hesitant to perform open procedures on elderly patients because of the increased risk of complications, said Dr Jonathan Saluta, an orthopaedic surgeon from California. “Older patients who undergo an invasive surgical procedure are more likely to suffer from an infection, life-threatening complication, or a return visit to the hospital within a month of surgery. The minimally invasive approach provides the benefits of undergoing an outpatient procedure with minimal blood loss, less scarring, faster recovery time, and fewer postoperative risks,” said Dr Saluta.

The only drawback of minimally invasive procedures is that the cost is 30% higher than open surgeries, said Dr Reddy. “But it is compensated by the faster recovery and shorter hospital stay,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / February 28th, 2015