Media Release

• Having been bedridden for years owing to Ankylosing Spondylitis, young Mangalurean mobilized after hip replacement surgery

Mangaluru, Feb 6: 'There’s light at the end of the tunne'... the phrase exudes hope and optimism but can be tough to practice when all odds seem to be pitted against you. But hope and faith, against all challenges, is what can make the most unviable, possible. 28-year-old Jayanth is a perfect example of optimism through the thick and thin of his life. It was his perseverance that helped Jayanth get back on his feet after 12 years of grueling battle with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Ankylosing spondylitis, over the years progressed to become severe, causing irreversible damage to Jayanth’s spine and pelvic joints. Due to AS, his spinal column and hip joints failed completely leading to complete loss of movement. Consequently, Jayanth could barely move around and was bedridden for past eight years.

Explaining in detail about disease and patient’s condition in a press meet here on Tuesday February 6, Dr Deepak Rai, chief orthopedic surgeon at Yenepoya Specialty Hospital, said, "Ankylosing Spondylitis is a rare kind of arthritis found in 0.1 to 0.5% of the population. AS is predominantly a genetic condition that is most common in younger men, and is most likely to occur in the late teens and twenties. It is also found among patients with HLAB27 antigen in the blood."

Further elaborating on the condition, he said, "Onset of AS is usually gradual often accompanied with severe pain in lower back, buttock, hip and thigh on one or both sides. The condition grows progressively to worsen with the time. Unlike a healthy spine, that is able to move in many directions and allows one to bend, turn, and twist, ligaments of AS affected spine calcify. Spinal bones, as a result of calcification, can fuse together making it impossible for patient to move spine in any direction. Precisely due to this AS can be disabling in its advanced stages. AS can be diagnosed through physical examination, x-ray of the back and pelvis and lab tests."

Talking about Jayanth’s case, Dr Rai explained, "When the patient under consideration was presented to me, both his hip joints were fused with complete loss of movement. He was suffering intolerable pain in both hips and was leading a very poor quality life. He was completely dependent on family and caretakers to perform even the day to day activities. There was no option but to undergo replacement surgery of both the hips to help him regain his mobility and functional abilities. Helping him get rid of the excruciating pain was the primary objective of surgery."

In Jayanth what aggravated the condition was not just the disease itself, but the refusal to undergo surgical intervention in the nascent stages of the ailment as advised by his medical practitioner. "The patient was reluctant to take any form of allopathic treatment, which could have altered the course of the disease. The repeated inflammation of the joints due to ankylosing spondylitis directly contributed to the failure of his hip and spinal column," the surgeon points out.

A joint replacement surgery is the last resort for people with advanced joint disease which has maimed their quality of life for a long period of time. And with technology changing the face of medicine, joint replacement surgery has advanced to an effective and safer.

Dual mobility hip system addresses the challenges with conventional hip systems. It is specially designed to relieve pain, enhance stability and improve the range of motion, for the patients suffering from severe hip joint disorder. This hip has two articulating surfaces which allows the patient a far more mobility than a conventional hip. It is much more improved than the standard implants, in terms of wider range of motion. Its unique design offers better stability and less wear and tear, thereby reducing the chances of cup failures considerably. "The hip system is also combined with patented X3 Technology. X3 is the first highly cross-linked polyethylene that resists the effects of wear, provides high level of strength and a long lasting implant. Dual mobility is an excellent option for young patients with a long active life span of 40-50 years ahead," Dr Rai further added.

Narrating his side of the story, Jayanth said, "In an age where my friends were working towards building a career, I was confined to the bed for 8 long years. What started off as dull aching pain 12 years ago, gradually progressed into an illness that restricted simplest of the movements like bending the torso, squatting and sitting cross legged. I was dependent on my parents for performing even routine activities. I felt helpless. But today I am happy and have come to believe that one should never lose hope, irrespective of how the odds are pitted against us. There may be light at the end of the tunnel."

Staying committed to the physiotherapy sessions, controlling the body weight, avoiding high-calorie diet, indulging in low-intensity exercises to improve the muscles around the joint can go a long way in increasing the lifespan of the hip implant.

As for Jayanth, post-surgery, for three weeks he was introduced to low-intensity mobilization activities like sitting up and exercising the knee, hip, foot and ankle in the bed, to allow the implants to incorporate into the bone. In the fourth week, the lad who had no hope of standing straight walked for the first time ever since the disease left him confined to the bed. And he continues to improve his mobility every day.