102-year-old woman undergoes hip surgery at SMVD Narayana Hospital

Excelsior Correspondent

KATRA, Aug 31: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Kakryal-Katra, has successfully performed hip fracture surgery on a 102-year-old woman from Dhanori village near Katra, marking another milestone in the Hospital's orthopaedic care for extremely elderly patients.

The surgery was performed by Dr Vikas Padha, Senior Consultant-Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement, and made the patient the third centenarian successfully operated upon by him at the hospital over the past eight years.

Dr Padha had earlier operated on a 104-year-old woman from Kunjwani, Jammu, in March 2018, followed by a 119-year-old man from Darap, Satwari, Jammu, in February 2020. The latest patient was born on January 1, 1924, according to her documents.

Describing the latest case, Dr Padha said the patient had sustained a hip fracture and, considering her advanced age, the priority was to make the procedure as safe and short as possible. A minimally invasive technique was used, with the surgery beginning at 1:30 pm and the implant placed within around 15 minutes. The patient remained stable throughout, with minimal blood loss.

Regional anaesthesia was administered by Dr Swati Tidyal, Consultant-Anaesthesia. The patient recovered sufficiently to be shifted directly to her room without requiring ICU care. With support from the Physiotherapy team, she was mobilized soon after surgery. Her sutures were removed on the 14th post-operative day and she continues to recover satisfactorily.

Dr Padha said the successful treatment of three centenarian patients demonstrates the Hospital's capability to manage complex orthopaedic and joint replacement procedures in very elderly and high-risk patients.

Dr Yashpal Sharma, Executive Director, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, said such achievements reflected the Hospital's advanced infrastructure and specialized healthcare services being strengthened with the continued vision and support of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.