Shoulder resurfacing surgery brings joy to South African lady
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A South African lady bid goodbye to shoulder arthritis via a shoulder resurfacing in India. This bone preserving operation was performed at a Chennai hospital recently.
Mrs. Saleha Khatum, the patient hails the operation a success as she no longer feels
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severe disturbing night pain. She had undergone a similar procedure on the right shoulder last year. A satisfactory result brought her back for surgery to the other painful shoulder.
Medical tourism to India is vibrant despite the recession and terror
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strikes. Patients come for elective orthopedic procedures like Shoulder & hip resurfacing and knee replacements says Consultant Orthopedic surgeon Dr. A.K.Venkatachalam of the JRCC (Joint replacement center, Chennai).
Common causes leading to shoulder arthritis are injuries, rotator cuff tears, repeated steroid injections, rheumatoid arthritis, instability, avascular necrosis and primary shoulder arthritis.
Shoulder resurfacing preserves most bone stock at the upper end of the humerus. Only the arthritis surface is scraped and capped with a metal prosthesis. There is no need to sacrifice valuable bone stock in these cases of arthritis unlike a traditional shoulder replacement where the head portion of the arm bone is chopped off. Patients regain full movement and get complete pain relief. The Copeland shoulder prosthesis was used on this occasion. Cost in India is one tenth of the cost in South Africa
