Dr Dilip Nadkarni - How To Avoid Knee Surgery

by Dr Dilip Nadkarni

Copyright Dr Dilip Nadkarni 2017

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my parents Geeta and Vasant Nadkarni, for giving me a wonderful childhood full of love and encouragement. They continue to inspire me with their zest for life.

I thank my wife Rashmi for her continued love and support. She is the best constructive critic I could have, stimulating and yet sobering me in life.

Nishad and Rishab my sons, keep me young and in good humour with their energetic inputs. I strive hard to live up to their expectations.

I am indebted to; and thank my teachers Dr KV Chaubal, Dr CA Talwalkar, Dr DD Tanna, Dr SP Vatchha and Dr VJ Laheri for their guidance in my career. I also thank my peers Dr Sanjay Pai and Dr Sanjay Garude for their valuable inputs. I thank my Orthopedic Residents and students at Lilavati Hospital for keeping me on my toes academically.

I thank Dr Hiroshi Ikeuchi from Japan for teaching me Arthroscopic Knee Surgery.

I thank the team of Anesthetists, Physiotherapists and all the paramedical staff for their support in providing patient care.

I thank all my patients for bestowing faith in me.

I thank Smita Patil for demonstrating the exercises shown in this book.

I thank Wing Commander Chris Chatterjee for editing and sprucing up the language in this book.

Thanks to Darshana Lathigra for contributing in the chapter on Nutrition.

Introduction

Why am I writing the book?

I have been at this desk in my clinic for the last 30 years. I have seen countless patients with knee problems and strived hard to give them relief. In the course of time, I have been asked millions of questions by my patients. Yes, millions of questions ranging from a simple Will my knee be OK doctor? to the highly internet educated, What is the tensile strength and the coefficient of friction of the implant you will be using? However the most common question continues to be, Doc, How do I Avoid Knee Surgery?

This question is asked typically by the family members of the patient undergoing knee surgery. They want to know the steps they need to take to keep away from knee surgery in the future.

This question is also asked by patients who have been advised surgery and they are not keen on getting it done. Here the typical question is - Doctor, is surgery absolutely necessary? Can I avoid it? In this book I am trying to answer this common question put forth to me. In this book I endeavour to give you a simple formula to keep your knees strong and healthy. If we manage to follow the formula, which I am presenting in this book, a lot of us will really manage to avoid knee surgery.

In my earlier book Knee Problem No P roblem (copyright Dr Dilip Nadkarni) I had highlighted common knee problems and provided solutions for them. Though I wrote about certain preventive measures, many readers wanted to know more about proactive measures, which could help them avoid knee surgery.

The Community wants to Know!

Some years ago I was invited by HELP Library, a non profit organisation involved in health education, to run a series of lectures on Knee Problems. The lecture on Advances in Knee Surgery had about 40 people in the audience. For the one on How to Avoid Knee surgery, the hall was bursting at its seams! Clearly, the Community wants to know how to avoid knee surgery.

Recently I was invited to lecture at the Goa Medical Association on the topic of my choice. When I gave them a few topic options like Advances in Knee Surgery, Overview of Sports Medicine and How to Avoid Knee Surgery, they unanimously opted for the latter. They said that they had heard enough about surgical techniques and sports medicine innovations, and wanted to know more about How to Avoid Knee Surgery! So now, even the Doctors want to know how to avoid knee surgery.

And now the real reason I am writing this book

Jogging in the park; the other day, I was chased by a dog. The dog was quite fit. I started running but he gained steadily. I started sprinting, but he still caught up. Pinning me down, he announced that he was a mad dog and was going to bite me. I asked him why. He said that it was the only way I would start writing this book. He said that an Orthopedic Surgeon would write a book How to Avoid Knee Surgery, only if bitten by a Mad Dog.

Am I Anti-Surgery?

No, I am not anti surgery! Definitely Not!!! In those patients where surgery is the only answer, Surgery it is. I am not recommending suffering pain and disability, just to Avoid Surgery. I am not suggesting living in denial when non surgical options have been exhausted. I am not advocating consuming pain killers, life long, in a bid to stay away from surgery.

Surgery has definite indications and they are to be respected. Surgery has great benefits and sometimes it is the only way out. My career has grown on the right mix of patients treated by surgery and by non-surgical means. Thousands of patients have benefited from Knee Surgery, achieved pain relief and returned to full function. On the other hand many patients have followed the simple dos and donts presented in this book and managed to avoid knee surgery.

Who should read this book?

This book will help those persons having knee problems and even those who wish to prevent knee problems. The book will help those persons who have a family history of degenerative knee problems or parents who have undergone knee replacement surgery.

We are facing an epidemic where younger patients are presenting with advanced knee osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is no more restricted to the elderly population, we often see younger persons in their 30s and 40s presenting with degeneration of the knee. This book is surely going to help the younger population with degeneration of the knee.

Elite and recreational sportspersons who have had knee injury and want to prevent further deterioration could also benefit from this book. Athletes who have overused their knees in their competitive phase of life, will also get useful tips to prolong the life of their knees.

Persons with degenerative knee disease or OsteoArthritis wanting to go in for knee surgery are sometimes declared unfit for anaesthesia. The advice given in this book will help patients who are medically unfit to undergo knee surgery.

In fact any person who wants to keep his or her knees healthy, strong and pain free should read this book.

The Rise and Rise of Knee Problems

Knee problems are on the rise. The increase in knee problems could be attributed mainly to Obesity, Obsession to Fitness and Longevity.

Obesity is killing knees silently but surely. Junk food, excessive alcohol, sedentary life styles, remote controls, power windows ensure that more body-fat is accumulated, which weighs heavily on the knees.

Just as sedentary life and obesity is taking a toll on knees, so is obsessive pursuit of fitness. On the one hand scientifically attained and maintained fitness is bliss and on the other hand improper exercise and overexertion can seriously damage knees. Excessive running and overuse on the sports field can prove harmful to the knees in the long run.

Thanks to the advances in medical science, life spans have increased. In the bargain, many knees get worn out even when a lot of life is remaining. An otherwise healthy person at the age of 75, is now seen seeking medical help for the creaking, painful knees.