Birth Defect Detected at Age 58; British Woman Undergoes Surgery in Dubai and Walks within 24 Hours

• A 58 year old female British patient* had struggled with mobility for more than five decades and was experiencing severe pain and restricted movement for the past year
• Doctors at Aster Hospital, Mankhool diagnosed a dislocated hip, a birth defect that had gone undetected at all the life-cycle stages  when such a condition is likely to be diagnosed
• A total hip replacement surgery by a team of Aster experts saw the patient walking within 24 hours of the surgery. 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 06 June, 2017: A 58 year old British woman successfully underwent surgery at Aster Hospital Mankhool to correct a birth defect and regained her ability to perform normal daily activities. Throughout her life, the patient struggled with mobility and found it difficult to execute certain movements such as going up the stairs, sitting cross legged or even stretching her legs.   

Dr. Manjunatha G.S., Specialist Orthopedic Surgeon at Aster Hospital, diagnosed the patient with Developmental Dysplasia (dislocation) of the Hip, or dysplastic hip, on the right side. Further complicating her case, the friction caused by the abnormal and continuous gritting of the joint, caused the patient’s right hip center to be 1.6cms above her left hip and also lead to the development of severe secondary osteoarthritis. The congenital condition, which is usually diagnosed at birth and early stages in life, had gone undetected throughout the patient’s life, until the team at Aster discovered the cause of the patient’s discomfort.

Commenting on the case, Dr. Manjunatha said: “Dysplastic hip is the most common congenital hip disorder in children and generally leads to secondary osteoarthritis of the hip joint at a very young age. However, it is uncommon for the condition to go undetected for so many years. At age 58, we diagnosed the patient with dysplastic hip after her condition had drastically deteriorated and hindered her daily life activities. By performing the total hip replacement surgery and limb correction we successfully managed to alleviate the patient’s pain and enabled her to regain the ability to perform daily tasks and functions.”

The surgery involved minimally invasive incisions and the patient was able to walk in less than 24 hours without experiencing any pain. As part of Aster Hospital’s post-op protocols, the patient also underwent mild sessions of physiotherapy and was able to walk without any support or walking aids by the third week post-surgery.

Commenting on her recovery the patient said: “Throughout my life, I experienced discomfort while performing simple activities like going up the stairs where I would always lean on one side to climb up. At the time, I used to think that this was completely normal, but I was very lucky to find Dr Manjunatha and his team at Aster Hospital, who made an effort to detect the root cause of the problem and diagnosed the real reason behind the discomfort that I was facing. Thanks to the team at Aster, I am now able to perform daily tasks with ease and pain-free.”

Dysplastic hip occurs in two forms, namely partial subluxation and complete dislocation. It is more likely for the condition to be diagnosed when it occurs in a single joint, however in the patient’s case; it remained undiagnosed until the age of 58. Dysplastic hip condition is generally recognized and corrected at one of the following stages , :

• at the time of birth
• when a child starts walking at age 1 or 1.5 years, he/she may face a delay 
• during teenage years
• during pregnancy 
• in the late 30’s
• at the end of osteoarthritis