With navigational endoprosthetics, orthopaedists gave a patient who suffered a car accident 21 years ago a chance for a better life
The 70-year-old patient operated on at ‘Heart and Brain’ Pleven is back on his feet just a few hours after the intervention
A 70-year-old patient with a severe left limb contusion (crush) in the knee and hip area has a chance to lead a normal and full life – without pain, 21 years after suffering a serious road traffic accident. This was made possible after a navigational endoprosthesis operation performed by the team of the Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology with Prof. Asparuh Asparuhov, of the high-tech , Heart and Brain’, Pleven.
“What is unique about this case is that after the severe trauma the patient’s leg had healed into a compromised position. After prolonged treatment, the limb was preserved with a shortening of 8 cm. and this shortening is also relative due to the deformity during healing. Eventually, the patient has a limb with which he can walk, but the extreme shortening has its adverse consequences – curvature and pain in the spine, limited mobility of the leg. In practice he used his leg sparingly, as a kind of support. He moved independently, but all these years the movement was accompanied by pain. New possibilities in medicine, and specifically navigational endoprosthetics, have made it possible for this patient to take the step of permanently solving his health problem 21 years after the accident, by choosing to trust our team,” explained the details Prof. Asparuhov.
Due to the severe deformities at the fracture site, it was not possible in this case to apply a standard intramedullary system to guide and determine the position of the implant. X-rays clearly show the axes of loading of the limb and the team of prof. Asparuhov made the only possible decision – surgery by navigational endoprosthesis. “The advantage of this technology is that with the help of navigation the implants are placed in the optimal position for each patient, according to his anatomy. The method guarantees long-term survival of the joint. I have already had the opportunity to say that, worldwide, with the advent of robotic and computerised surgery, navigational endoprosthesis has long since replaced classical surgical techniques. At the Heart and Brain hospitals in Pleven and Burgas we have had the new technology for nearly a year and we have highly trained teams who have specialised in Germany. This allows routine application of the innovative approach, which is many times more gentle for patients”, said prof. Asparuhov. He said that once again he and his colleagues are extremely pleased because they can see in practice how the new technology makes it possible to solve difficult patient cases.
The operated 70-year-old patient was up on his feet just a few hours after the intervention. He himself says he feels happy because he can now move his leg without pain.
The application of a navigational endoprosthesis depends entirely on the severity of the deformity in each individual case, and this is decided by the medical team. The operation is fully covered by the Health Insurance Fund for all insured patients.
