109-year-old activist Saalumarada Thimmaka undergoes hip surgery

Noted environmental activist Saalumarada Thimmakka underwent a hip surgery at a private hospital here on Wednesday.

Doctors said she did fine through the surgery and that it was successful. Her advanced age will determine the speed of recovery, hospital sources said.

Dr Sanjay Pai, orthopaedic surgeon at Apollo Hospital, Jayanagar, told DH: "The surgery went well. She had fractured the hip on the left. A hemiarthroplasty is a surgical procedure that involves replacing half of the hip joint. It is generally done to treat a fractured hip."

He continued: "We have removed the broken part and replaced it with an artificial implant. She should be able to walk from tomorrow hopefully. She is very old, hence recovering from the anaesthesia will take 18 to 24 hours. Once she is well, if there are no other issues, we will make her walk. For now, she is in the ICU. Hopefully, she will do well and walk out of the ICU by Thursday."

According to Pai, Thimmakka should go home by Friday or Saturday. She has to walk with the support of a stick. In four to six weeks, she should be able to walk without a stick. She is 109 years old. This is the age given to us for records, he added.

Thimmakka has won accolades around the world for having planted 384 Banyan trees along the four-kilometre road connecting Hulikal and Kudur (45 km from Bengaluru). Recently, she made an appeal to save these trees, as the roots of the trees were harmed because of roadworks.