ALL ABOUT KNEE & HIP PAIN AND ITS RIGHT TREATMENT

KNOW FROM THE EXPERT OF SHALBY ORTHOPEDICS CENRE OF EXCELLENCE LUCKNOW

Shalby Hospitals Ahmedabad, which is renowned all over the world for joint replacement – knee and hip replacement, has opened an orthopedic hospital in Lucknow recently under its chain of Shalby Orthopedics Centre of Excellence hospitals. Shalby performs the highest number of joint replacement surgeries and its founder Dr. Vikram Shah is renowned across the world. Shalby’s Lucknow hospital, which has been named as Shalby Orthopedics Centre of Excellence Lucknow (SOCE Lucknow), is located on IIM Road in Muttakipur in Lucknow.

In this interview, Arjun Singh Bhati, who has a wide knowledge and experience in healthcare field, talks to SOCE Lucknow’s Senior Joint Replacement & Arthroscopy Surgeon Dr. Taufiq Panjwani, who has performed more than 10,000 joint replacement arthroscopy surgeries, about common causes of knee and hip pain and its treatment as well as about Shalby’s Lucknow hospital and services it offers.

We know that Shalby Hospitals is renowned across the world for its joint replacement and orthopaedic expertise. Tell us more about this

Shalby’s journey began in 1994 when Dr. Vikram Shah after completing his education in UK and USA came back to India and started spreading awareness regarding joint diseases and joint replacement procedures. It has been 29 years since that journey began and today, Shalby has touched the lives of 1.50 lakh patients through Joint replacement surgeries and has made an impact on their families as well. Joint replacement surgery is needed when a patient is undergoing intense pain and when the patient gets treated, the relief extends to their families as well.

Tell us about Shalby Orthopedic Centre of Excellence Lucknow?

Shalby Hospital that is based in Ahmedabad operates 14 hospitals across India. It was observed that people travel from long distances from places like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh etc. to Shalby Ahmedabad for treatment, and it is not just limited to Indian cities; international patients from regions of Africa, UK, Dubai, UAE/Middle East, etc. also travel Ahmedabad to get their treatment done. That’s when Dr. Vikram Shah came up with the idea that could ease the burden of these travellers by bringing Shalby’s treatment to them. And that’s how Shalby’s SOCE (Shalby Orthopedic Centre of Excellence) came into being, where with the help of Shalby’s expertise, goodwill and skills could be extended across different cities. Inspired by that, Shalby has launched its third SOCE in Lucknow and it has gained momentum already with daily surgeries.

What services does the SOCE offer?

We offer comprehensive orthopaedic services including joint replacement at SOCE Lucknow. We have full time experienced orthopaedic surgeons here. Besides, our expert surgeons from Ahmedabad visit SOCE Lucknow regularly for diagnosis, treatment and surgery so that patients from and around Lucknow do not need to travel all the way to Ahmedabad.

What is osteoarthritis?

Knee pain is one of the most common medical conditions, because as a person ages; the bones and joints experience wear and tear which is usually the case in all organs but in the case of the knee bone and joint, since these bear weight of the body they are under more stress and are more at risk for arthritis. For e.g. when we buy a new car, initially it’s in great shape but when it has run for more than 50,000 – 60,000 kms, the tyres start experiencing wear and tear. Our knees are similar to the wear and tear of the tyre, because to the use, wear and tear of the knee joint, aging (50, 55, 60 years onwards) causes the wear and tear to settle in and that’s what we know as “Arthritis” in medical terms. In Indian population, the incidences of Arthritis are more common and comes on way earlier (10 years earlier) in comparison to the western population because of our genetic pre-disposition.

How are Knee and Hip pain co-related?

When the weight of the body falls upon the joints of the knee, that pain emerges in the hip region and affects the pain sometimes travels to the knee which doesn’t necessarily mean that the knee requires surgery, they are two different medical conditions, the pain may be co-related but is mutually exclusive, known as “referred pain”. To identify the origin of the pain, consulting with an Orthopedic Surgeon is the best alternative. X-Ray and Diagnosis could point out the precise location of the pain. Hip joint disease and knee joint disease are entirely different diseases and if you have hip joint disease, it does not mean that you will have knee joint disease.

What is TKR surgery?

TKR is the short form of Total Knee Replacement. This is a type of knee replacement surgery in which all the three parts of the knee joint are replaced. It is needed in the cases of severe arthritis when all the three parts of the knee joint are damaged and need to be replaced.

What is Shalby’s “Zero Technique”?

Shalby Hospital uses a special technique called “the zero technique” for Knee Replacement Surgeries, an innovation developed by Dr. Vikram Shah. This technique has revolutionized joint replacement surgery. It has several advantages. Owing to this technique the surgery time has got reduced to just 10-15 minutes. Besides, it uses smaller cut, thus the blood loss is less, there is near to nil infection rate and recovery time is faster. Patient walks on the same day of surgery, can climb stairs the next day and can go home in 2-3 days.

What is the success rate of a Joint Replacement Surgery?

A well-known American Journal had hailed Joint Replacement Surgery as “the surgery of the 20th century”. It is a surgery that has managed to transform millions of lives in the last 100 years, owing to its high success rate. With Shalby’s strict protocols, the success rate at Shalby is among the highest. At Shalby people can be assured of a great result after joint replacement.

What Lifestyle changes can help avoid joint replacement surgery?

About 85% of the patients we see at Shalby for joint pain do not require Knee Replacement Surgery. Some of the ways you can take care of your joints are:

· If your knees are in the early stages of Arthritis i.e. initial pain stages of the knee, then you can prevent or delay the surgery by exercise of the knee to strengthen the muscles of the knee.

· Avoid activities that could put pressure of the Knee i.e. sitting on an Indian toilet where the squatting puts pressure on the knee, sitting on the floor because while getting up, the knees experience pressure once again.

· Third important precaution is Diet, the Indian diet usually consists of vegetarian food that lacks proper nutrition like protein, Calcium and Vitamin D in adequate proportions. So consume food items that have high amounts of Proteins, Calcium and Vitamin D in them. For e.g. milk and milk products consist a good amount of calcium. High amounts of protein could be found in foods like soya bean, chickpeas and sprouts. Eggs, chicken, mutton and fish being the alternative protein source for those who are non-vegetarian.

Following these points could save an individual from the trouble of Knee replacement surgery in the future and keep him/her fit for life.

You are also a sports injury specialist. Tell us how one can avoid sports injuries.

Being a sport loving nation with football and cricket being the most popular sport among Indians, the impacted Sports enthusiasts experience injuries every now and then

which is a very common medical condition in these cases. Knee injuries being the most common of them with ligament tears and miniscule injuries due to twisting their leg while playing. Sports is not only good for the body but also great for the mental health, but the key to avoid the injuries is warm up. Post an injury, it is always advised to rest, use ice pack or warm pack and consult an orthopedic surgeon.