PATNA: The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) will soon start hip surgery involving a new bone-nailing technique that requires smaller incision. This technique would help lower mortality and morbidity rate of high-risk patients with fracture in their hips.“Hip fracture in over 25% of geriatric patients that would have required total hip replacement surgery can now be fixed using this modified fracture fixing technique. Diabetics, cardiac patients, people over 75 years of age or those having multiple health problems are high-risk patients for hip replacements. The mortality rate of these patients that have undergone hip replacement, within a year after operation is 50-60%. The mortality rate of patients post-operations for less than a year is 30%. If patients are not operated upon, the mortality rate is 80%,” associate professor of the orthopaedic department at IGIMS, Dr Ritesh Renu, said.The new technique is known as ‘Halifax nail’. It has been devised by Dr Subhash C Halder from Halifax, UK. It involves the nailing of two fragments of bone together using an implant that has a triflange nail to give rotational stability which is locked in place using a setscrew. “We try to preserve the patient’s natural bone. This is a pinhole surgery, so there is negligible blood loss during surgery. The patient will be mobilized earlier than usual and the pain experienced during the surgery is also comparatively low,” Dr Renu said.Talking about internal bone repair in case of hip fractures, he said earlier there was a similar nailing technique surgical intervention. But loosening of nails post-operations as a result of weak bones of patients over 75 years caused by osteoporosis remained a problem. “The present nailing technique has minimized this problem also,” Dr Renu saidHip replacement surgery usually costs around Rs30,000 to 50,000, while this new technique would cost a patient only Rs20,000. “Although the rate is around Rs25,000, t has been subsidized for IGIMS patients,” he added.2nd mobile coronary care unit in two months: IGIMS is planning to get another mobile coronary care unit within two months. “One mobile coronary care unit is already functioning in the hospital as of now. It has all the facilities for acute emergency care for a cardiac patient such as ECG, ventilator and defibrillator. The mobile van provides 24-hour service and has a doctor and technician. As of now, it is providing service in the urban areas of Patna,” IGIMS head of cardiology department Dr B P Singh said. The mobile CCU would provide service to cardiac patients at a cost of Rs1500. The emergency number for the mobile CCU is 8544413242.As per the proposed development plans for IGIMS, a 200 bedded cardiac emergency unit would come up with a separate helipad landing for emergency purposes. “In heart attack cases, time is of the essence. We have plans to acquire more mobile coronary care units under the development plan,” Dr Singh said.

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