NewZNew (S A S Nagar) : Fortis Hospital Mohali is entering into a prestigious knowledge sharing agreement with the Oxford University for Unicondylar (Partial) Knee Replacement, regarding which a senior professor from the renowned varsity, Prof Hemant Pandit, visited the hospital today. It is noteworthy that after AIIMS Delhi, Fortis Mohali is only the second centre in the country to enter into a knowledge-sharing agreement with Oxford University.
Under the leadership of Dr Harsimran Singh, Director Joint Replacement programme, the Knee Unit at Fortis Hospital is doing the maximum number of Partial Knee Replacements in India. Prof Pandit attended the Operating Theatres and observed the surgeries being done by Dr Harsimran. He acknowledged the quality work being done at Fortis Hospital and lauded the surgical skills of the team, adding he would call Dr Harsimran to Oxford University next year so that the Fortis surgeon could share his experiences and expertise.
Prof Pandit explained the concept of partial knee replacement and called it the future of knee replacement surgery. “Unlike total knee replacement, partial knee replacement involves replacing only the damaged portion of the knee. Not all doctors or centres are able to do these surgeries. I’ve been in touch with Dr Harsimran over the past 1 year and we’ve studied the results of the partial knee replacements that he has done – which is close to 500 in the year. This is the highest partial knee replacements done by single doctor in the country,” he said.
He explained: “The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments along with the lateral compartment are preserved in this surgery. This makes the new joint function very similar to natural knee. As compared to total knee replacement, the amount of blood loss, post operative pain and need for physiotherapy are much less in partial knee replacement,” he explained.
Dr Harsimran added, “The incidence of serious side-effects such as infection, heart and lung problems post surgery is almost negligible. It is the safest surgery for elderly patients having arthritis who often have associated medical co-morbidities as well. Most of the patients can easily sit cross legged after this surgery. In fact, over 90% of my patients have been able to successfully and comfortably sit cross-legged after the partial knee replacement.”
Oxford partial knee replacement system is a product of cutting edge research done at Oxford University UK. It is the most widely used partial knee system in the world. The implant has a follow up of over 35 years in published medical literature and is proven to have high longevity, safety profile and patient satisfaction.