Rare shoulder surgery successfully performed at Rara Sahib Hospital
A rare and complex reverse total shoulder replacement surgery was recently performed at SISJMH, Rara Sahib, Ludhiana, by Dr Harpreet Singh Gill, a Senior Joint Replacement and Orthopaedic Surgeon. This is believed to be the first time such a surgery has been carried out at a rural hospital in the state.
Reverse shoulder replacement is an advanced treatment option for elderly patients with shoulder fractures, arthritis combined with muscle tears, or those who struggle with shoulder movement due to previous failed surgeries.
The surgery was performed on a 70-year-old woman from Canada, who had been suffering from severe shoulder pain for the past six to eight years. She was unable to move her shoulder, which had become stiff and frozen. Any movement caused pain and she was unable to sleep due to the constant pain. Following the surgery, her pain has subsided and she is now undergoing physiotherapy to restore full shoulder mobility.
This type of surgery is performed by only a few surgeons across India and was first carried out in North India by Dr Gill in 2016. He had trained for such procedures at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States.
The Canadian patient had sought treatment at several hospitals and was planning to travel to Pune, where the surgery is commonly performed at select centres. However, upon learning it could be done at Rara Sahib Hospital, she opted to have the procedure there, as it is significantly more affordable. The cost of this surgery at higher centres is typically around five-six lakh rupees, but it was available at a much lower cost at Rara Sahib.
This achievement has been made possible due to the vision of Sant Baba Baljinder Singh, the head of the Rara Sahib Samprada. Under his leadership, the hospital has been equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, making it a vital healthcare resource for the region. The ability to perform such complex surgeries at reasonable rates is a boon for local patients.
The hospital’s trustees, including S Malkeet Singh Panesar, Dr Gurnam Kaur, S Maninderjit Singh Benipal and S Gurnam Singh, congratulated the entire medical team for their success in carrying out the surgery.