Doctors discharged 99-year-old Robert Manning from Fortis Malar Hospitals on Tuesday after a “challenging” hip replacement surgery in which the patient was not administered general anaesthesia.
Senior Consultant, Trauma and Joint Replacement Surgeon Nandkumar Sundaram said doctors at other hospitals in Chennai had refused to operate on Mr.Manning due to his age. “People don’t operate because they think by giving anaesthesia, the heart will stop,” he said. “[The] Anaesthetist is key.”
Apart from some renal and liver dysfunction, Mr. Manning’s health record was flawless. M. Thanigai Vendan, Senior Consultant, Anaesthesiologist, Fortis Malar, said that is why he was able to administer a segmented epidural, by which the patient is given small calculated doses via a catheter inserted through his back.
This numbs a limited region of the body without disturbing the neighbouring organs. Mr. Manning was conscious for the duration of the procedure, which lasted 40 minutes.
“We did not give any sedation to the patient,” Dr. Thanigai Vendan said.
Now, Dr. Sundaram says Mr. Manning is living pain-free and will gradually be able to perform his daily routine once more.
An active entrepreneur, Mr. Manning continued to work until about three months ago when he fell and broke his hip. While he was bedridden, his hipbone joined incorrectly, keeping him from walking and causing such pain that he was unable to move, Dr. Sundaram said.
During the procedure, doctors used a stainless steel dynamic hip screw to fix the deformed fracture. Had he been confined to his bed, bed sores and infections would have caused further complications.
It was the patient’s will to live, work, and be with his family that gave Dr. Sundaram and his team the confidence to perform the operation. Dr.Sundaram said the most important thing doctors can do for a patient is improve the quality of life.
Source: The Hindu
published: March 11, 2009 in: Anaesthesia, Hip, News, Orthopaedics, Products, Specialty