In six weeks of having a shoulder joint replacement surgery at Ortho One Hospital, Nanjappa, 83, is finally rid of his longstanding pain and misery.
Dr. Shyam Sundar, an orthopaedic surgeon, recently performed a reverse shoulder joint replacement after Nanjappa couldn't find relief at the few hospitals he visited.
Nanjappa was injured in 2012 when he crashed his bike into a door pushed open by a careless passenger of a parked car.
Though Nanjappa walked away unscathed from the accident -- or so he assumed -- he started experiencing pain and discomfort in the shoulder region many months later. That pain persisted for years. He says, he could not lift his arm even to wear his shirt.
Shoulder injuries in the elderly, especially those to their joints, need expert handling, says Dr Shyam. For one, their bodies are weak, and don't take to invasive surgery well.
Also, in whom joint replacements are indicated, the normal procedure of replacing the joint ball and socket does not work.
Reverse joint replacement
Though it takes a specialist to perform it, a reverse joint replacement surgery works the best in elderly patients, says Dr. Shyam.
"During the surgery to replace the shoulder joints with alloy parts, we reverse the position of the ball and socket. It holds out firmly...."
Of course, the procedure is minimally invasive. Hence, recovery time post-surgery is also shortened. In most cases, the patients are out of the hospital in two to three days,says Dr. Shyam.
Nanjappa
Today, Nanjappa is fine. The pain is gone; he has also won back his mobility.
He is still on medication. However, he would be off it soon.
There are several old people who find themselves in similar predicament. Nanjappa's case may serve as an eye-opener to them.
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