Free hip replacement for 50 patients in difficult circumstances

In this period, it is noteworthy that more than 30% of patients assigned to surgery were under 40 years old.

Mr. Vuong Khanh Viet from Khanh Hoa (40 years old) said that he had been experiencing pain for 2 years but bought painkillers on his own because he thought it was muscle pain. Nearly a year ago, his condition became more and more serious, so he went to see a doctor and the doctor concluded that he had a problem with his hip joint and had signs of necrosis. Mr. Viet was introduced by an acquaintance and registered for this free surgery program.

“The cost of hip replacement surgery is quite high, a burden for my family because since I got sick, the difficulty in working has reduced my income by more than half. I am very happy to have this surgery and hope that after the surgery, my health will be good again, and I can continue to work as before,” Mr. Viet shared.

It is known that before surgery, all patients are thoroughly screened by doctors from Military Hospital 175 and the OWC expert team. After surgery, patients are instructed in rehabilitation exercises to quickly improve mobility and return to normal life soon.

In parallel with the free hip replacement surgery program, Military Hospital 175 and the Operation Walk Chicago expert team also implemented a program to examine and provide in-depth consultation on ankle-foot diseases for patients.

Also within the framework of the program, the two units will coordinate to organize a scientific workshop "Update knowledge in hip replacement surgery" on April 8, 2025 with the guidance of experts from Northwestern University Chicago and major medical centers in the US.

Lieutenant Colonel, PhD, Doctor Phan Dinh Mung, Deputy Director of Military Hospital 175, Director of the Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics, said: "Femoral head necrosis originates from osteoporosis, osteopenia in the femoral head, gradually progressing to fractures, cartilage necrosis and subchondral bone necrosis increasingly spreading, leading to changes in the structure of the hip joint, severe hip osteoarthritis and disability. The cause of the increase in young patients with femoral head necrosis is mainly due to the habits of smoking, drinking alcohol, lack of exercise and especially the abuse of painkillers containing corticosteroids causing osteoporosis and early osteoarthritis".

Dr. Mung also emphasized the importance of post-operative rehabilitation exercises and encouraged patients to exercise early for a quick recovery. At the same time, early exercise also helps prevent the risk of blood clots and reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis after surgery.

According to the Director of the Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics, from 2019 to now, this is the 4th time and the 3rd consecutive year that the Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics (Military Hospital 175) has coordinated with Operation Walk Chicago to implement a free joint replacement program for patients in difficult circumstances. The main diseases include: femoral head necrosis, hip osteoarthritis... Each surgery costs from 80 to 100 million VND and is fully funded by the program.

According to the cooperation plan between the two sides, the program will continue to be maintained annually, aiming to expand treatment access opportunities for people.

The program not only provides treatment opportunities for poor patients, but also contributes to improving the professional capacity of domestic medical staff, demonstrating the spirit of international cooperation for public health.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mien-phi-thay-khop-hang-cho-50-benh-nhan-co-hoan-canh-kho-khan-post870113.html