It took Shihan Hussaini several years to come to terms that he needed bilateral knee replacement if he wanted to walk again.
The 61-year-old martial arts instructor, who is known for his dangerous stunts, said when he nailed himself to a cross, he had not anticipated the repurcussions.
“As I had nailed my feet too, I could not walk well after that. For three years I had difficulty in walking. I could stand only for 10 seconds. I consulted doctors in London and the US through my students. Even here I consulted several doctors,” Mr. Hussaini said.
But orthopaedic surgeon A.B. Govindaraj gave him the confidence to go ahead with total knee replacement and he decided to have both knees operated on at the same time. Two days after the surgery he climbed stairs.
Mr. Hussaini told media persons, “It is a rebirth for me. I am standing before you seven days after surgery. I plan to drive 15.5 km to my home in Besant Nagar from here.”
Dr. Govindaraj, senior consultant and clinical lead, Orthopaedics, MGM Healthcare, said bilateral knee surgeries are about knee balancing. “The most common reason for the procedure is severe arthritis. Pain worsens with weight-bearing activities such as standing and walking.”
Patients “relatively younger, healthier, non-obese individuals with stiffness, pain and limitation of activities” are ideal for double knee replacement surgery, he explained. Shihan Hussaini with his sportsman-like fitness regime “fulfilled the criteria and made the job easier for us,” Dr. Govindaraj added.
