Easy cure: Dr Shivendra Kumar checks Gayatri at the private nursing home in Gaya. Picture by Suman

Doctors in Gaya set a high benchmark by performing a total hip replacement (THR) surgery on a 78-year-old woman at a private nursing home.

Gayatri Devi of Dobhi block had undergone the surgery, which according to orthopaedic surgeon Shyamendra Prasad Sinha, is not done anywhere in the Magadh region, comprising Gaya, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Nawada and Arwal.

Sinha, who pulled off the surgery on Gayatri, said the expenses for the operation was far lower compared to undergoing the surgery in cities like Delhi and Patna.

“In Gaya, the THR surgery costs around Rs 90,000. The same treatment could be availed of in Delhi at Rs 3.5 lakh and in Patna it would cost around Rs 2.5 lakh.

Shivendra Kumar, the head of the orthopaedic department of Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH) said the facilities for a THR is not available at the government hospital.

Total joint replacement involves surgery to replace the ends of both bones in a damaged joint to create new joint surfaces. The surgery replaces the upper end of the thighbone (femur) with a metal ball and resurfaces the hip socket in the pelvic bone with a metal shell and plastic liner.

Shivendra Kumar, however, said considering the advanced age of Gayatri Devi there could be post-surgery complications. “The success of the surgery would depend on the movement of Gayatri’s hip in the next two-three days,” he said.

Surgeon Sinha said in case of hip fracture of a person there is no need for a THR. “Only partial replacement is enough to ensure movement of the hip in case of a fracture,” he said.

He, however, added that Gayatri’s case was different because she had got her left hip fractured more than four months back.

“She was undergoing treatment under general physicians for four months. During this period, because to lack of blood supply to the vessels, the upper part of the femur, including the head and the neck completely got damaged. We imported stems for the head and the neck from a reputable company. These things cost around Rs 52,000. The parts were transplanted for the THR,” Sinha said.

The four-hour long operation had started at 12noon on Monday.

“We performed the surgery with the help of an orthopaedic expert from Patna and other paramedical staff of the nursing home. During the surgery, at one point of time the pulse rate of the patient dropped drastically. However, she is a strong woman and had the courage to undergo such a difficult surgery,” the surgeon said.

It will take the patient at least two weeks to stand up and walk.

Gayatri, who regained consciousness on Tuesday, said: “I had to bear excruciating pain for the past four months. Now, the pain is lesser.”