Mumbai: Doctors save highway cop’s legs after he meets with an accident on patrol duty

Mumbai: Doctors saved the legs of a highway policeman who suffered polytrauma (multiple injuries) in an accident. Sachin Dhanivire, 44, and a colleague were on patrol duty when a heavy vehicle hit them. Both suffered multiple fractures.

Worldwide, the most common cause of polytrauma is motor vehicle accidents. “The patient suffered fractures in both thighs, comminuted fracture of right proximal leg bone with degloving injury to right knee exposing bones, muscles and other side tissues and an arm fracture,” said Dr Girish Bhalerao, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road. Dhanivire’s right lower limb side bones were shattered with open skin, bones and vasculature.

“The patient was primarily treated at a local hospital. But faced with a grave situation, they referred him to us.” Mr Dhanivire was admitted to Wockhardt’s emergency department on Apr 22. “His bones were protected and his lower limb has been restored to normalcy.

He was operated in sequential manner with multiple surgeries to maintain haemodynamic status and normal physiology. Both thigh fractures were fixed using a long interlocking intra-medullary nail. Proximal leg bone was fixed using bicolumnar plating with bone grafting, the degloving injury was fixed,” he said.

“It was difficult to salvage the limb but we did it.” "My world came crashing down after the accident and I thought I would never be able to stand again,” Mr Dhanivire said. “But I am a policeman and a fighter and determined to resume duty soon.”