The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Training session on complex knee surgeries

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Sunday, Nov 08, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Training session on complex knee surgeries

Cost of procedures brought down

HYDERABAD: A team of eight top surgeons from Australia are holding a four-day training session of highly complex knee and hip replacement surgeries to Indian surgeons at the newly established Sunshine Hospitals. Till now, to undergo such hi-tech surgeries, patients from here had to visit Australia incurring expenditure to the tune of Rs. 10 lakh.

The team of Australian doctors, who have formed a group titled Delta, took up surgeries on 25 patients at Sunshine Hospitals, which were beamed to the delegates in the training session. With Australian surgeons conducting surgeries here, the total cost of conducting the procedures came down drastically.

“If the cost of conducting a surgery was Rs. 5 lakh till now, thanks to Australian surgeons, the cost has come down to Rs. 2 lakh. Significantly, Indian doctors have learnt to conduct such complex surgeries here. Patients do not have to go all the way to Australia for surgeries,” said managing director of Sunshine Hospitals Dr. A. V. Guruva Reddy. Speaking to mediapersons, orthopaedic surgeon from Sydney Michael Solomon said Indian patients tend to delay their visit to the doctor. “By the time they visit a surgeon, it becomes a complicated surgery to perform. It is always better to contact a doctor before the disease matures,” he said.

Dr. Guruva Reddy said that the surgery cost of knee and hip replacement surgeries will only come down if Indian companies start manufacturing world-class ‘implants’ at lower cost. Typically, cost of conducting such surgeries hover between Rs. 1 to 1.75 lakh.

“We hope that the cost gets reduced by Rs. 30,000 if good implants are manufactured Indian companies,” Dr. Reddy said. For hip and knee replacement surgery details: 6463-6363/ 2784-6666.

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