Hip joint displacement had left 57-year-old Ridha Aljuiper with almost constant pain and limited motion in his lower body. One year after receiving Analgesia to relief the pain, Ridha began to feel similar symptoms returning, however, this time they were far more severe. “At first it would come on suddenly and resolve on its own just as quick as it came on, all in less than a minute. It was a sudden sharp pain that would stop me in my tracks. I felt it mostly in the joint area but also across the upper thigh and down into my thigh. The worst pain was around the joint and the upper thigh though,” recounts Ridha.
This pain constantly got worse over time, “After about one week of the sudden pain, it then became a lot worse with every day that passed. It happened every day from then on and the pain is the worst I've ever felt in my life.” With the pain not looking to go away, Ridha decided to see an Orthopaedic Specialist, “In all these years, I had not seen to an orthopedic specialist - never needed to”. After his first visit to his doctor, over the course of one month, Ridha made several visits to the hospital. “During the course of one month, I had visited the doctor multiple times with x-ray after x-ray done. In the end, I was not sure if my treatment was moving in the right direction”.
To help him get to the bottom of his problem, Ridha decided to contact Vaidam to find a suitable healthcare alternative. “I was contacted by Mr. Ibrahim Usmani, who spoke Arabic with me and carefully explained the procedure for coming to India for my treatment, said Ridha, “after speaking to him I felt very relieved, he even assured me help while I was in India.” Ridha was provided with a list of Best Orthopedic Hospital in India and he decided to go with Artemis Hospital. Now feeling reassured with his decision, Ridha made preparations to travel to India.
Ridha arrived in New Delhi on the 27th June. “This was my first time, so I felt a little nervous. The airport was quite crowded, but as soon as we came out, we met our Vaidam representative waiting for us outside”. Ridha made his way to his guest house, his home for the next month. He now patiently awaited his day with the doctor, so he could get a clear diagnosis of his problem.
Ibrahim meanwhile made an appointment with Dr. IPS Oberoi. On the day of the appointment, Ridha made his way to meet his doctor. “I met Dr. Oberoi who asked me a lot of questions, especially about the medical history and any family history of Arthritis, he also wanted to know if I had any injury in the last few years.” After a long discussion, Dr. Oberoi ordered further tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the affected area.
Once the scans returned, Dr. Oberoi- one of the best orthopedic doctors in India, discussed his options with Ridha. Ridha’s left hip had subluxated, a hip dislocation that can occur due to numerous reasons like accidental injury, or fall. Hip dislocations can also occur as a complication of hip replacement surgery. Ridha’s MRI scans showed a spot that the doctor suspected is either early osteoarthritis or where cartilage has rubbed down to bone.
“Dr. Oberoi said if my pain was significant enough, then he should go ahead with surgery. And given the amount of pain I am in daily, this didn’t seem like such a bad idea.” During the surgery, Ridha went under anaesthesia and Dr Oberoi performed a closed reduction to put the left hip back into place without the need for additional surgeries. By the time his anaesthesia had worn off, he was feeling much better again, “The next thing I knew I was in a room feeling much better with my injury repaired.”
After almost a month in India - undergoing physical therapy and constant monitoring by medical personnel at Artemis Hospital, Ridha made his way back to his home country: Iraq. Very satisfied with the way things had gone, he says: “My journey is not over yet, but God is continuously providing for me. During this process, He has constantly reminded me that He is sovereign and I am not. He knows what He is doing and this will work out for my good and according to his wishes.”
Vaidam wishes Ridha a speedy recovery and a fulfilling and active life ahead.