Palwancha CHC Performs Second Free Knee Replacement Surgery
Hospital authorities said patients often hesitate to undergo knee replacement surgeries at CHC-level hospitals due to prevailing misconceptions about the availability and safety of such procedures.
Nalgonda: Doctors at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Palwancha of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district have successfully performed their second knee replacement surgery, providing the treatment free of cost to the patient.
Officials said the procedure offered relief to patients who cannot afford the high cost of knee replacement surgeries in private hospitals, where the treatment can cost around ₹3 lakh in Hyderabad and about ₹1.7 lakh in Kothagudem.
Hospital authorities said patients often hesitate to undergo knee replacement surgeries at CHC-level hospitals due to prevailing misconceptions about the availability and safety of such procedures.
Encouraged by the success of the first surgery conducted about four months ago, B. Kavitha, 52, from neighbouring Warangal district approached the Palwancha CHC for treatment after learning about the earlier case from a family in Yellandu.
Civil assistant surgeon and orthopaedic specialist Dr Shailesh Kumar Nadikudi, who has received training in knee and hip replacement surgeries at the Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) in Tirupati, led the medical team that carried out the surgery.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Dr Shailesh Kumar said many patients believe knee replacement surgeries can only be performed in private hospitals. He said Kavitha had earlier consulted doctors at a private hospital in Kothagudem and spent a lot of money on treatment before being advised to undergo knee replacement surgery, which she could not afford.
The doctor said the first patient who underwent knee replacement surgery at Palwancha CHC four months ago had recovered well and was able to walk normally. The second surgery was also successful and the patient is expected to be discharged within a week.
He added that the cost of implants used in the surgery was covered under the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme and patients do not have to bear any expenses for the procedure at the government hospital.
Kavitha said she was recovering well after the surgery and doctors had advised her to begin walking gradually after a week. She appreciated the care provided by the medical staff at the Palwancha CHC.
