Apollo Spectra Hospital performs hip replacement with Bioloy implants on a vegetable vendor for avascular necrosis

A team headed by Dr Kunal Makhija, orthopaedic and joint replacement surgeon, Apollo Spectra Hospitals, successfully performed a total hip replacement surgery on a 38-year-old vegetable vendor using Bioloy implants for the first time in Western India.

The patient was unable to walk owing to avascular necrosis and his hip movements were restricted to 30 per cent.

Deepak Ingavle was jolted out of his normal life due to hip pain for six months. He is a fruit vendor by profession and the sole earner in his family. He had right hip pain and was unable to walk or stand for a long time. He would limp while walking and required assistance even while doing his daily chores. The patient visited various medicos but nothing seemed to help. However, the patient was referred to Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Mumbai wherein he got a fresh lease of life.

“On arrival, the patient complained of intermittent pain radiating from the right hip and limping. After reviewing his X-ray, it was found that his right leg was one inch shorter and hip movements were restricted to 30% due to avascular necrosis of the hip,” said Dr Makhija.

Avascular necrosis of the hip is a condition in which blood supply to the head of thigh bone is reduced causing the head to be distorted in shape and size. Normally the head of the thigh bone is circular in shape. In this condition, it becomes almost like a mushroom shape. Avascular necrosis is a condition which is more common in males than females. It is mostly seen in middle-aged people (30 to 45 yrs). The most common causes of avascular necrosis are steroid use followed by idiopathic diseases and alcohol use. In India, almost 16,000 cases of Avn Hip are diagnosed which eventually lead to hip replacement.

Dr Makhija said, “Total hip replacement is surgery in which the head of thigh bone is changed with a ceramic or metal implant and socket of pelvis bone is changed with metal implant too. The usual implants are titanium or chromium cobalt. But, this patient was operated on using a novel implant known as Bioloy Dual Mobility Hip Implant. The patient started walking on the very next day of the surgery. It’s been 50 days since the surgery, and he has started climbing three floors of his house and goes to his shop and market.

“I was shattered as the hip didn’t allow me to earn my livelihood and take care of my family. My family is dependent on me and I would only think about how to feed them. On the other hand, the pain was increasing and my health deteriorated. I would require assistance even while getting up from the bed, to sit, or even visit the washroom. I can walk properly now,” said Ingavle.