A 60-year-old Nigerian patient successfully underwent Total Femur Replacement surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi.

A 60-year-old man, citizen of Nigeria, successfully underwent a high risk and rare surgery for total femur replacement of the whole of thigh bone with knee and partial hip at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi. Femur replacement surgery is a salvage arthroplasty procedure used as an alternative to lower limb amputation. It is characterized by limb preservation, faster and quality rehabilitation. Total Femur replacement surgeries are done for patients who have undergone cancer related treatment in the past or pathologic fracture of a previously fixed femur which does not get better by other procedures.

In this case the patient, Mr. Onah, had been undergoing treatment for recurrent giant cell tumor for the past 12 years. He had undergone two surgeries in South Africa in 2010 following which tumor excision and mega prosthesis was done at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in 2013 followed by a revision in 2016. On his recent follow up consultation his reports revealed that he required Total Femur replacement prosthesis.
He was admitted at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals on 17th September and on the same day in a 5 hour long procedure, a total femur replacement was done by Dr Yash Gulati, Senior Consultant Orthopedics, Joint Replacement & Spine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi and his team of surgeons.

Dr Yash Gulati, Senior Consultant Orthopedics, Joint Replacement & Spine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi says that, “Administering a Total Femur Replacement surgery to Mr. Onah, who has undergone tumor excision and mega prosthesis procedures in the past, was challenging. Very few hospitals in the country are equipped to conduct such a complicated procedure. However, the state of the art facility at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals enabled us to undertake this procedure and save a life. The surgery was high-risk as the patient had multiple surgeries in the same region before and had a big tumor operated three times in the same area along with a total of 5 surgeries earlier. There was a risk of embolism as he was not in a mobile condition for several months. Additionally, there was also a big risk of dislocation due to the lack of proper tissue support. The surgery was the last resort and another alternative option would have been to do an amputation of the whole lower limb. The reason for the ailment was a tumor which Mr. Onah had at the lower end of femur and was operated twice in South Africa and had appeared again. The procedure and post-surgical recovery of Mr Onah was uneventful and after a week the patient was able to move with support. He was discharged on 22nd September. As a treatment modality, he shall be administered regular post-operative physiotherapy for a couple of months.