Supported by robotic-assisted surgery, advanced imaging, customised implants and comprehensive rehabilitation protocols, the Department of Orthopaedics continues to manage increasingly complex cases with greater surgical precision, improved functional outcomes and faster recovery, reaffirming its commitment to delivering world-class orthopaedic care closer to patients across Erode and neighbouring regions.
This clinical expertise is reflected in several recent high-complexity cases successfully managed by the hospital.
One such case involved a 7-year-old girl who presented with persistent pain and swelling around her knee. Initially treated elsewhere for what was believed to be a bone infection, further tissue analysis revealed osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. Following an excellent response to chemotherapy, the child required surgery to remove the tumour while preserving future limb function.
Given her young age and significant remaining growth potential, conventional tumour prostheses were not a viable option, as they would have resulted in substantial limb-length discrepancy over time. To address this challenge, the orthopaedic oncology team implanted a customised non-invasive expandable tumour prosthesis, specially manufactured in Germany and designed to accommodate her future growth. Three years after surgery, the child continues to do well, with successful limb preservation, good function and normal growth of the operated limb.
Dr. Suman M. Byregowda, Senior Consultant – Orthopaedics, Narayana Health City, said, "Managing bone cancer in children requires balancing complete tumour removal with preserving long-term function and growth. In this case, the customised expandable prosthesis enabled us to save the child's limb while allowing it to grow naturally over time. A few decades ago, many patients with bone cancer required amputation. Today, owing to advances in chemotherapy, surgical techniques and implant technology, nearly 60–80% of patients can be cured and limb-salvage surgery is possible in over 90–95% of cases. Early diagnosis, timely treatment and multidisciplinary care remain the key to achieving the best outcomes."
In another complicated scenario, a 55-year-old female patient, whose means of earning was doing household work, presented herself at Narayana Health City owing to bilateral knee arthritis, which she had been suffering from for almost two decades. Her knee pain gradually became unbearable, making household activities very difficult for her and threatening her very livelihood. She suffered from a deformity of the right knee owing to an injury in her adolescent years, which limited her movement to the extent that walking a small distance and performing physical activities became very difficult for her. After undergoing thorough clinical and radiographic assessment, the patient was put through a complex primary robotic-assisted knee replacement. With the help of the highly sophisticated robotic device, the surgeons were able to achieve accurate placement of implants while correcting the severe deformity affecting the patient's mobility and normal activities.
The patient was mobilised by the process of assisted walking within the same day of the operation and was subjected to early physiotherapy. Within the span of only three days, she was discharged and was able to walk independently by the help of a walker while performing her activities of daily living. With physiotherapy sessions being held regularly, she was able to show significant progress and was able to walk independently without any problems within a period of one month. She has now become pain-free and is capable of performing all her household chores confidently and can now return to work to earn her livelihood.
Dr. Prathap, Consultant – Orthopaedics, Narayana Health City, said, "Robotic-assisted joint replacement allows us to perform even highly complex knee replacements with exceptional precision while preserving as much healthy bone and soft tissue as possible. This translates into better implant positioning, reduced postoperative pain, earlier mobilisation, faster rehabilitation and improved long-term function. For patients who have lived with severe pain and deformity for years, restoring mobility and independence is often life changing."
With 10,000 orthopaedic surgeries completed in just three years, Narayana Health City continues to strengthen its position as a centre of excellence for advanced orthopaedic care, combining clinical expertise, cutting-edge technology and multidisciplinary collaboration to deliver superior patient outcomes across joint replacement, orthopaedic oncology, trauma and complex reconstructive surgery.