103-Year-Old undergoes Successful Hip Replacement at Kauvery Hospital

Chennai, 17th July 2018: Kauvery Hospital, a leading multi-specialty and tertiary care hospital chain, successfully performed a complicated hip replacement surgery on a 103-year-old centenarian and ex-Central Government employee, Mr. Srinivasan, from Chennai.
The centenarian was brought to the hospital with his left hip joint fractured. A team of doctors, nurses, a physical therapist, and a dietician offered holistic treatment. Orthogeriatric doctors suggested hip replacement, and the surgery, which lasted 1.5 hours, was conducted on 12th July 2018. He was kept in the ICU post operatively, and was asked to walk with help the next day. He was prescribed short-term anti-seizure medication to prevent any post-surgery seizures and was discharged within the next few days.
“The surgery itself was not complicated, but the fact that the patient was 103 years old presented a number of challenges,” explained Dr. M. Lakshmi Naathan, the Ortho Surgeon who led the procedure. The implant required cement fixation due to weak bones, and the patient’s heart was functioning at only 60%. Upon recovery from anaesthesia, he regained consciousness immediately.
With advanced age, the heart, lung and kidney functions are compromised, and bones become brittle and weak following a trivial injury. They were mostly bedridden, restricting them to lifetime dependency and early mortality. Orthogeriatrics is an emerging branch in the field of medicine that specializes in the management of fractures and arthritis in the elderly. It is a holistic treatment approach that involves a team of doctors from various specialisations in managing elderly patients. Its development is a ray of hope for senior citizens, who can receive better treatment and continue leading long lives with less pain.