Zulekha Hospital experts help worker regain mobility after 12 years of pain
by correcting his deformed and eroded knee

Long-standing deformation of knees needs immediate attention.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 17 July 2019: 52-year-old Philip had been repeatedly seeing doctors across multiple hospitals in UAE for his severe knee pain which got worse with his long-standing position, an essential requirement on his job as a worker in a dairy products company. Over 12 years he had been suffering from extreme Unilateral Primary Osteoarthritis, and unable to bear the pain, finally approached the orthopaedic experts at Zulekha Hospital Dubai for a permanent solution.

Philip with Dr. Chetan Prakash (L) and Dr. Rahul Shivadey (R)

Degenerative Osteoarthritis is a very painful condition that can reduce mobility and make daily tasks difficult to manage for any individual. Age and repetitive stress injuries with constant pressure on knee joints, occupational stress due to extreme fast movements, squatting, or lifting heavy weights can be some very common causes leading to this condition of the knees. Pain-relieving anti-inflammatory drugs can only help to a certain extent, beyond which surgical treatments are the only source of respite to patients.

Having known of the disease for over 10 years and fearing the surgical repercussions, Philip has avoided it for long. Specialist Orthopaedicians Dr Rahul Shivadey and Dr Chetan Prakash took time to explain in detail and assure Philip that his condition can be treated and needed immediate attention to remobilize him and save him from losing his mobility permanently.

Over a four hour procedure, the Philip underwent a successful realignment of the knee. The surgeons removed the eroded portion of the knee and re-aligned it with a cemented total knee. Speaking of the team effort in managing the difficult procedure, Dr Shivadey said, “We learnt that the complex dislocating deformity would not enable a complete correction and standard knee prosthesis would not give us 100 per cent results. Within minutes of evaluating the complexity of the deformity, we took a quick decision to use a higher grade comprehensive prosthesis for the knee replacement. This gave us variable options that allowed us to customize the knee implant literally to suit his original bone structure. It is a practice with us to back-up during contingencies to achieve best results and this came in handy.”

The team of doctors at Zulekha Hospital Dubai Orthopaedic Department is glad to have been able to restore the patient’s mobility achieving very good alignment of the knee. The prosthesis used is made of titanium alloy which is completely safe. 

Dr Shivadey added, “The deformity was a gross deformity and the bone was actually dislocating. The joint line has widened over its normal span and this was the result of constant weight-bearing and pressure on the knee that led to its deformity. There had been a complete loss of cartilage between the thigh bone and the leg bone, resulting in continuous friction of the bone that could wear away the bone, and even lead to severe infections.”

Dr Prakash said, “Such cases need a very clear diagnosis and planned team effort.  Philip had lost hope after consulting multiple hospitals and was not being able to gain confidence that he could be treated. While surgeons take up knee replacements, the complexity in this case due to the deformity required expertise to prepare for the unknown due to the high risks involved. We were confident we could manage it successfully and kept the patient well-informed on what he can expect. Our goal was to enable a full-correction of his deformity. We were happy the patient cooperated positively, and we could achieve this.” 

Philip expressed his gratefulness to the treating doctors saying, “I am very happy the pain is gone down and I am able to walk and move again without this mental stress of never-ending pain.”

Philip is advised to be cautious for the next four to six months, avoid any jerks and eventually resume his normal life.

The Orthopedic department at Zulekha Hospital Dubai is Gold certified by SRC Center of Excellence and recognized for practising the gold standard of evidence-based surgical care.

About Zulekha Healthcare Group www.zulekhahospitals.com

 Zulekha Healthcare Group is a Superbrand and among the forerunners in UAE healthcare. Today the Zulekha Healthcare Group includes two multidisciplinary hospitals in Dubai and Sharjah, as well as four UAE medical centres and three pharmacies providing specialised treatments in over 30 disciplines. The group also has a multidisciplinary hospital in India – Alexis. Zulekha Hospital has received extensive recognition for its commitment towards quality care and sustainable business practices, and recently received the prestigious Dubai Quality Award for the second time in four years, underling a commitment to providing high-quality healthcare to patients and society. 

Media Contact:
Sameena Khanam – Senior Manager PR and Communications
Zulekha Hospitals:
+971 6 5069254
skhanam@zulekhahospitals.com