Dubai: A 68-year old Nigerian patient, who was crippled by a rare knee condition, was fortunate to fly in to the UAE just before the flight suspensions in time to be operated and be able to walk again.
Isaac Ogedengbe was suffering from excruciating pain and despite several visits to doctors in Nigeria, he was unable to find relief. He was also a patient of sickle cell anaemia, which made the surgery at the RAK Hospital a challenging task.
Dr John Bera, senior specialist, spine and orthopaedic surgery at the RAK Hospital, said: “Isaac suffered from a condition called windswept deformity in both the knees. This is a rare occurrence where the bones or joints of one knee angulate inwards and in the other are angled outwards, causing immense pain and walking difficulties.”
Dr Bera added that the condition is quite unusual among adults, making the surgery far more complicated. “In this case, the bone joint in the left knee was angled inwards by 10 degrees and in the right knee, it was angled outwards by 30 degrees.”
While the surgery in the left knee went smoothly, the procedure in the left knee presented several challenges. Dr Bera said: “Total knee replacement in such cases is always a challenge. Because the bone is dislocated at a very odd angle, the bone cut must be minimal and precise taking into account the rotation and alignment of thighbone and shinbone, very good soft tissue balancing and ensuring the kneecap stays in place when the knee is in motion. Moreover, the patient also suffered from sickle-cell anaemia, which could potentially lead to blood loss during the procedure. Fortunately, the blood loss was minimal, and he did not undergo blood transfusion either during the surgery or after it,” added Dr Bera.
Within two weeks of the surgery, the patient was able to walk without any pain in either of the knees. He told Gulf News: “I can confidently say that coming to RAK Hospital for treatment was a good decision. Prior to the surgery, walking was very painful for me and my right leg used to bend even while standing. But after this treatment, I’m able to stand straight and walk properly, and I couldn’t be happier. I’d like to thank the hospital and Dr John Bera for the brilliant job.”
