Canadian NRI successfully got his hip replaced by Fortis Hospital in Mohali-
despite a complicated medical history

The Rare hip surgery on NRI patient with history of complications
Mohali, Punjab Nov. 24, 2008
Express News Service

NRI Gurucharan Shergill is back on his feet again after a rare medical feat by a team of senior doctors at the Fortis Hospital in Mohali.

Following a successful surgery, which the doctors claim was very challenging, the 58-year-old NRI successfully got his hip replaced despite a complicated medical history.

Shergill, who had a heart transplant in Canada, suffered multiple heart attacks a few years ago and was prescribed immuno suppressment drugs for life because of which his immunity levels had become extremely low. His entire left limb became permanently weaker than the right one. Moreover, he is a diabetic and a chronic Hepatitis B case.

Sharing his experience, Gurcharan said he had recently gone to Ganganagar in Rajasthan to meet his relatives, where he suffered a fall and fractured his left hip joint. Because of his medical history, the risks involved were extremely high and most doctors were, therefore, reluctant to operate on him. His doctors in Canada too advised him to return for treatment. “I was in extreme pain when I visited the Fortis Hospital,” he said.

A team of doctors, comprising orthopaedic surgeon Harsimran Singh, cardiologist GS Kalra, gastroenterologist Arvind Sahni, endocrinologist KP Singh and anesthetist Adarsh Swami after a thorough evaluation decided to conduct a minimally invasive hip replacement surgery on him.

“There was a high risk of infection due to his low immunity levels and therefore, special care was taken to prevent it. The latest technique of minimally invasive surgery was employed where only a 4-inch incision is made and very few tissues are dissected,” said Dr Harsimran Singh.

Referring to the possible complications during surgery, Dr Adarsh Swami said: “Such cases are very rare in India. This was one of the most challenging cases I have treated as all the nerves going to the patient’s heart had been cut-off for the heart transplant and medicines which act on a normal heart would not be effective in this case.”

Shergill recollected that he started walking almost 48 hours after the surgery and plans to fly back to Canada in the next couple of days.

“The surgical wound is healing without any sign of infection and the doctors have assured that it would heal completely by next week,” the NRI said .