Testimony from a PatientMary and I transferred (in the hospital van) to a comfortable beach resort about 1 hour south of Chennai. We could hear the waves from our room and although I could arrange myself to sit on the beach, I never did master the dining room and so we took most of our meals on our verandah.
Mohan Kumar was the administrative person, who I call the "fixer". Whenever we had a need or question, he found an answer: from where to eat dinner, to how to bill my insurance company.
Now I am about 41/3 weeks out from the surgery and I am walking without crutches, doing quite a bit but find myself tiring out quickly. I've had the luxury of being able to recuperate at my own pace with friends cooking and visiting and weeding my garden and driving me around and helping me with my physical therapy and even making me new curtains for my bedroom.
In many ways this journey has been the deepest pilgrimage I have ever taken and I took it in complete trust and confidence, with no fear. Chennai, once Madras, is in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Dr Vijay C Bose with His Patient.
AsianRegionalCenter for Hip Resurfacing,
ApolloSpecialtyHospital, 320, Mount Road, Chennai - 600035. INDIA.
E-Mail: bose5vijay@hotmail.com
Telephone: 0091-44-(0) 98400 - 32251
Dr Vijay C Bose with His Patient.
AsianRegionalCenter for Hip Resurfacing
ApolloSpecialtyHospital, 320, Mount Road, Chennai - 600035. INDIA.
BIG BIG THANK YOUS TO ALL OF YOU and all of my many unbelievably supportive friends and health professionals.
The saga in brief: After 4 years of being told I had herniated discs causing sciatic pain, my Thai massage therapist, Mr. Brian Rahm, noticed that all the tight muscles in my body were around my hip, suggested I get a hip x-ray and consider resurfacing. I got the x-ray and sure enough my hip joint was bone on bone, no cartilage left. No wonder I had big pain and trouble walking!
Then the discussion about whether to have a full on hip replacement (which is insurance reimbursed for people my age) or try to get the hip resurfaced. After much discussion and extensive online research, I determined that hip resurfacing was the answer: it preserves as much of the body as possible, covering the aceteblum and femoral head after the arthritic material is grated off and since the new covering is metal, chrome and cobalt, it should have a life time guarantee (versus hip replacement which may last 5-15 years depending on usage).
Next question was where to have it done? I eventually chose a surgeon in Chennai, India. Working through a medical tourism agency, healthbase.com (www.healthbase.com - and you will get a phone call from "Moe"), my xrays and medical history were sent to surgeons all over the world. Dr. Vijay Bose at ApolloSpecialtyHospital in India was the only one to immediately say YES!, no problem. In fact, the only one. Others were concerned about my age, (64), about my bone health, (I have been diagnosed with osteopenia), my kidney functioning (I've had 2 incidents of kidney stones - 35 years apart!). Dr Bose understood that I am a healthy 64 year old, who teaches yoga. He explained that of course my bone health would have been compromised if I could not walk for several years (which had been the case - I could stand but any walking longer than one block was excruciatingly painful). I also was able to contact someone locally (!), an ICU nurse, who had had the very same operation 4 years ago! That was very cool. And although the orthopedic doc in Rutland said: "Well, I wouldn't want my mother having surgery in a third world country" as I was doing my research, I began to realize that not people from all over the world are seeking out the wonderful medical treatment available in countries where health care is focused on health not on illness. The docs are trained in the US or in England and they are extremely proficient, returning, in Dr. Bose's case, to his home town where he could assist many people who suffered from a congenital hip malformation which rendered them crippled for life.
So all things fell into place for me to proceed to India: My friend, Roland, an anesthesiologist, told me how impressed he has been by Indian doctors; My dearest friend Mary was free to accompany me; I have the most blessed teachers to fill in for me at the studio while I'm gone, another friend could stay with my two poodles, my energetic friend Ruth Ann transported us to JFK and met us upon our return!
In India: We flew and Indian airline, Jet Airways - wonderful (arranged by Lisa Verschoor of Avalon Travel). Arrived midnight, the hospital transported us to our business hotel. We slept, took a walk and got lost immediately in the hustle and bustle of Chennai, toured around for 2 ays with a car and driver, had an Ayuvedic massage(wow) and then both entered the hospital. Mary lived in my room (and smoked on the roof). We had all the amenities plus a microwave, coffee maker and fridge. Food was great and every day, masala tea in the afternoon.
Mary at peace:-
Dr Bapuji was my anesthesiologist which made me feel totally confident. Dr. Bala was the doc who changed my dressing. And there were 7 "sisters": Mrs. Rajesware, Ms. Hemavathi, Ms Mani Megalai, Ms. Sharmila, Ms. Saraswathi, Ms. Iris Ananthi and Ms. Sree Ranga who watched over me day and night . And of course it was always comforting to look over and see Mary's familiar face.
The operation was a success and now I have a beautiful (at least looking at the xray-metal socket and femoral cover). Dr. Bose's belief in maintaining as much of the body as possible means that he has also developed a methodology for preserving the bursa which is the covering around the joint (Dr. Bose's specialty is complex joints - hip, shoulder, knee). He's awesome. (Check out his website by googling Vijay Bose.)
I was able to, with PAIN, take a few steps on day 1 post op using a walker. After that first day, there was not so much pain, just discomfort if I over extended. But from day one, I was permitted to put full weight on my leg. Every day I was visited by Dr. Bose and Dr. Bala and Dr. Bhim 1 or 2 times and by a physical therapist, either S.K. Pandian or Sri Vatsan twice a day to assist me with my exercising. I stayed in hospital 7 days, was released using 2 arm crutches and wearing those elegant white stockings, TEDS.
Dr Vijay C Bose with His Patient.
AsianRegionalCenter for Hip Resurfacing
ApolloSpecialtyHospital, 320, Mount Road, Chennai - 600035. INDIA.
I underwent Hip Resurfacing surgery with Dr. Vijay C. Bose on September 10, 2007. I am extremely satisfied with the results of my surgery and have returned to an active lifestyle with no residual pain or discomfort whatsoever. Following is a brief history of my condition and how I came to require the services of Dr. Bose and his dedicated team.
Peter F. Koenig - Motocross Bike Professional
Peter F. Koenig – Motocross Bike Professional:-
I am an active 48 year old man engaged in a number of sports that require good hips, including Bicycling, Motocross, Kite boarding (similar to Windsurfing) and Skiing . I began to experience pain in my left hip approximately 10 years ago. The pain was intermittent in the early years and usually followed vigorous exercise. I was diagnosed with the early stages of osteoarthritis in my hips and was told that I should minimize high-impact sports, lose weight and wait until the pain became intolerable then seek a Hip Replacement Surgery. In early 2005 the pain in my left hip became substantially more acute, to the point that I was walking with a limp at all times, and experiencing almost constant pain.
Orthopedic Surgeons and Discussions:-
After several visits to Orthopedic Surgeons based in the U.S., I was told to seek Hip Replacement Surgery. Through independent research on the internet I was introduced to the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) procedure, which appeared to be a better solution for me as a relatively young and physically active patient (there are many reasons for this, but for purposes of this letter I will assume the reader knows of the inherent benefits of BHR over Traditional Hip Replacements for younger patients). As BHR surgery is a relatively new procedure in the U.S., I was encouraged to seek a doctor outside the U.S. who had substantial experience with the procedure. Through the course of my research, the names of several physicians kept appearing as the worldwide “Leaders” in the field, one of whom was Dr. Vijay C Bose. I initiated contact with Dr. Bose in 2005, and sent him a CD with x-ray images of my hips. He indicated that I was a good candidate for the procedure and should seek to obtain the surgery as soon as the pain became intolerable. I waited two more years and ultimately arranged for my surgery with Dr. Vijay C Bose in September 2007.
Peter F. Koenig - Action during Motocross
Traveling Experience:-
The experience of traveling to India for a major medical procedure was daunting at first for someone coming from the U.S., but I was able to communicate with several of Dr. Bose’ former patients who assured me that I would be well cared for and in good hands. In the end, this proved to be the case as I felt completely comfortable while under the care of Dr. Bose and his Dedicated Team at the ApolloHospital Chennai. From the coordination of my travel plans with the International Patient Coordinator Mr. Mohan to the medical care provided by Dr. Bose and his staff, I was completely satisfied with my experience at the hospital and with the outcome of the procedure.
Curing:-
It is now still Less than a Year since I had the BHR procedure and I have returned to all the physical activities I enjoyed prior to my Hip Pain. I don’t think about my hip much at all anymore – It is Cured.
Dr. Vijay C. Bose graduated from Madras Medical College in 1990, having secured the Lt. Col. Thayumunusamy Gold Medal in orthopaedics from the college during the final year. After completion of postgraduate studies (M.S Orthopaedics) from the university of Mangalore and D.NB (Orth) from the national board of examination, he gained practical experience in orthopaedics by working in various private institutions in India. He worked as Registrar in Apollo Hospital, Chennai and in Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore. In 1995, he commenced subspecialty training in hip surgery at Birmingham United Kingdom(UK) where he worked closely with Dr.Derek McMinn and Dr.Ronan Treacy the inventors of the Metal on Metal Hip Resurfacing prosthesis for young people with Hip Arthritis. During his training in Birmingham he completed the M.Med.Sci trauma course from the University of Birmingham.
He has introduced the Bone Conserving Shoulder Resurfacing Procedure again for the First Time in India at Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai.
More than 1400 Hip Resurfacing Surgeries have been performed so far. Asian Regional Center for Hip Resurfacing is the first specialized Resurfacing center in Asia.
