NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 20
Apollo Hospitals, Asia’s largest and trusted multi-specialty chain of hospitals, has performed One–Step Minced Cartilage Procedure on a 69 year-old American woman who was suffering with Grade 3 Osteoarthritis (Knee Joint). Dr. Madhan Thiruvengada, Senior Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals and team successfully completed the Minimally Invasive All Autologous Cartilage Repair Surgery.
Sarah Hassler, 69 year-old American, is working as a teacher in an international school in Chennai. She began feeling pain in her knees, which started as a dull ache later progressed into sharp pain as she did small movements, it later restricted her from her day-to-day activities at school. She visited Apollo Hospitals, OMR with a growing knee pain that disturbed her daily work routine Dr. Madhan Thiruvengada, diagnosed her with Grade 3 Osteoarthritis defect.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common problem worldwide leading to disability. Almost 19% of population above 40 years and 50% of people above the age of 75 years in the world suffer from it. Knee replacement was the traditional method which helps the patient to lead a pain free life but compromising and avoiding physical activities like jogging, squatting, playing sport etc. Sarah Hassler underwent the new “One –step Minced Cartilage Procedure” which preserves the patient’s natural joint for many years.
Speaking about the procedure Dr. Madhan Thiruvengada, expertise in Arthroscopic Sport Injury procedures and Robotic Joint replacement Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, said “Usually the surgery for cartilage repair is a two-step process involving Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI). This is done by harvesting and growing the patient’s own cartilage cells in the lab for 4-6 weeks following which the patient undergoes the second procedure for implanting the grown cartilage tissue, this two-staged procedure which requires lot of time for recovery and cost.”
He also added, “The One –step Minced Cartilage Procedure Transplants a portion of a healthy cartilage particulated from the same knee of the patient through a keyhole incision along with a bioactive material to the damaged portion of the cartilage, thereby reducing recovery time. The entire procedure is autologous, there is no usage of chemical agents during the procedure, making it a completely safe procedure for the patient.”
The patient recovered and was discharged within a day, she is active and within 3-4 weeks following the procedure she had been on an international vacation without any hassle, a release from the hospital said.
