New Delhi : Vaishali, 32, was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints) that affected both her knees, leaving her with no movement at all. Recently operated with the bilateral Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai, she now has near normal movement. A healthy and active life is awaiting her.
Preeti Tyagi, 43, recently underwent knee replacement surgery at Atlanta Hospital in Ghaziabad. Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, she was not even able to walk for 100 metres. After the knee surgery, she is now able to climb stairs without any pain and can soon resume other physical activities as well.
Not long ago, knee replacement was considered a necessity for the elderly suffering from the persistent keen pain. Not anymore. Increasingly, young Indians are going under the knife for joint replacements so that they can maintain active lifestyles rather than wait for their knees to pack up.
“The knee replacement surgeries have emerged as a lifestyle choice for many people in their forties who do not want to hang up on jogging, cycling, driving, yoga, climbing stairs or playing their favourite sports,” say the country’s leading orthopaedics and knee replacement experts.
An improved implant technology with positive outcomes is driving young people to opt for surgery at an earlier age. “Earlier, we hardly had patients seeking joint replacement in their forties or fifties. Most waited till the knees lost all mobility and pain became unbearable. Today, young people are seeking joint replacements earlier so that they can return to their dynamic lifestyles,” Dr Rajeev K Sharma, senior consultant (joint replacement surgeon) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi told IANS.
The latest techniques like gold knee and oxinium implants are proving much better than previous ones, ensuring a long-lasting positive effect on knees. “The newer materials like fourth-generation ceramics, alloys and finishes like oxinium and highly cross-linked polyethylene (plastics) last much longer. Hence, the eight-10 years of implants’ life is now extrapolated to 20-25 years,” explains Dr Sanjay Agarwala, head (orthopedics and traumatology) at PD Hinduja National Hospital in Mumbai.
Nishant Arora
