23 November,2013 06:56 AM IST | | Anuradha Varanasi
After spending 26 long years of his life without being able to perform namaaz or walk for more than a few minutes at a time, a 63-year-old Iraqi national is ready to bounce back to a normal life. Atta Hoosaaini was unable to bend his right knee after he underwent surgery for a fractured thighbone more than two decades ago, subsequent to a car accident.
Atta Hoosaaini (63), with Dr A M Rajani (extreme right), and his family friend Hayder Ali and his translator Hayat (extreme left). u00a0Hoosaaini is now undergoing physiotherapy in the hospital, and has regained 100 per cent movement in his right knee
Hoosaaini, who works as a taxi driver in Baghdad, was since left nearly crippled. Despite consulting around 10 doctors in his city to treat the acute stiffness in his knee, he was informed that no treatment was available. "As he didn't have more than 5 per cent movement on his right knee, he walked with a limp and only very short distances. He managed to go for work every day because he owns an automatic taxi, but any other activity was too strenuous for him," said Hayder Ali, a family friend.
A relative then suggested that Hoosaaini visit India for treatment, after which he approached Dr Amyn Rajani, consultant orthopaedic and knee surgeon at Charni Road's Saifee hospital. "His knee had become extremely stiff due to adhesion, which made it challenging to regain up to 90 per cent movement again.
He underwent an operation on November 12 where we found that there was also muscle fibrosis as the muscles had got stuck to the knee joint," said Dr Rajani. The patient then underwent arthroscopic arthrolysis and quadricepsplasty, wherein the stiff muscles were released and the dead muscles were removed.
The Iraqi national spent around Rs 1,70,000 for his treatment. "As he is a taxi driver, he was unable to afford the entire amount of Rs 3 lakh, but we offered him a discount. The complication with such cases is usually the risk of getting an infection or haematoma formation (blood collection). He has been prescribed antibiotics and a drain is kept in the knee to avoid collection of excess blood," said Dr Rajani.
The patient is now undergoing physiotherapy in the hospital and has regained 100 per cent movement in his right knee, added Dr Rajani. Hoosaaini will leave for his country on Sunday. "I look forward to seeing my three children again and live a less restricted life. I'm happy I came to India for treatment as I can walk normally again and all credit goes to the doctor," he said.
Expertspeak
Dr Pradeep Bhosale, head of the orthopaedic department at KEM hospital, said, "There is stiffness in the knee post surgery, as the tissues get tied up around the knee joint, which have to be released. However, living with this for more than 20 years is uncommon. In most cases, due to the large time span, the cartilage slowly deteriorates over the years, due to lack of movement in that joint."u00a0
