Tuberculosis is unfortunately, still a very common disease in India. Tuberculosis of the foot however, is exceedingly rare. The disease causes painful, restricted movements of the hip and is very difficult to diagnose.
For 12 year old Suvarna (name changed) it was nearly three years of pain before an MRI at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital revealed her condition. She had developed ‘Juvenile Ankylosis’, a condition which causes abnormal adhesion and rigidity in the joints. The treatment would mean a hip replacement surgery.
“We follow standard protocols for all investigations and treatment modalities at our hospital. In this case extra precaution was taken since it is was paediatric case of TB hip. Only after a pre-op anaesthesia check-up and assessment of blood parameters to ascertain her being fit for surgery did we go ahead”, said Dr. Varadaraj, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at NH Mysore.
The rare and complex procedure lasted 90 minutes and was performed by specialist team at the hospital which included Dr. Jayavardhan, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Prasanna, Anaesthetist, Dr. Maneesh S Giri, Consultant Paediatrician and Dr. Varadaraj, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.
The successful surgery means that after 3 years of pain and being nearly crippled, Suvarna can now lead a normal, active childhood.