The Goa Medical College (GMC) at an orthopedics conference in North Goa announced the use of a gold-coated implant for a knee replacement procedure that was performed on a 56-year-old female patient.

This innovation was announced at an orthopedics conference: Global Medical Pivot Knee Summit which was held in North Goa. The GMC set an example of the first hospital in the country to use the gold-coated knee implant for the knee replacement procedure. The replacement operation was conducted on Saturday and was performed by Dr. Shivanand, the dean of GMC and head of the orthopedic department along with Dr. Neil Sheth, an orthopedic surgeon from the US.

Commonly, knee implants are made with titanium or cobalt and chromium-based alloys. However, the GMC used the gold-coated knee implant.

Dr. Bandekar said that they are the first in the country to have the new technology that offers implant longevity and a better quality of life to a patient, and said the new method is designed specifically to match the natural anatomy of the patient. The price discrepancy between the regular and gold-coated implants is not huge. The gold-coated implant costs less than Rs. 1 lakh, maybe 80,000 and it has longer utility. They can be anticipated to last for 30 years. The regular implants cost Rs. 60,000 and last for 15-20 years. The cost may rise depending on the quality of the material.

Dr. Bandekar said that under the Make In India initiative, a domestic company produced the new implants, so their availability should not be a concern. A gold-coated implant reduces friction and leads to faster adoption of the implant into the body. However, whether it is a traditional implant or gold plated implant the knee replacement procedure is the same.

The doctor also explains that for the latest procedure, they used a method called a window operation, in which an incision smaller than normal is made. But, the other factors did not change. The time taken for the surgery varies from surgeon to surgeon. He completes a total knee replacement procedure in 35 to 40 minutes. If it is on both knees, more than one hour is required. The monthly knee replacement procedures at GMC range between 30-35. Dr. Bandekar expressed that unlike in foreign countries, patients here do not come for treatment early. They consulted the doctors only when the knee pain was intolerable and walking became extremely difficult.

(Input from various sources)   

(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/MSM)