103-year-old fit after hip surgery
“Honey, I am absolutely fine,” said 103-year-old M.B. Manikyam, who recently underwent a successful hip-replacement surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Secunderabad. Mr Manikyam who is from Ghatkesar, Zaheerabad, was brought up in the preIndependence era by a British woman, who taught him mannerisms which even his children find difficult to adapt to.
As he works on his farm growing vegetables, rearing birds and drawing water from the well, his life is a dream that most people long to live. On one such day, while working on the field, he tripped and the fall fractured his hip. His grandchildren, a total 57 in number, rush him to the hospital.
Dr Mithin Aachi, consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon said, “The initial investigations showed that his hip was fractured and required surgery. There was anxiety on the face of the relatives who were with him while Manikyam was calm apart from the occasional pain that twitched his face. His polite manners and the impromptu ‘honey’ in his sentences made us smile.”
But there was a hitch, as anesthesia in advanced age often tends to have adverse effects and can prove fatal. The acceptance of three family members was taken as the chances of fatality could not be ruled out due to the age factor.
Consultations approved that spinal epidural anesthesia would be less risky than general anesthesia. To the surprise of the doctors’ team, Mr Manikyam responded very well as his blood pressure was under control during the surgery.
Recovery was quick after the operation, due to his strong will power, good eating habits and maintaining a regular work schedule and walking and cycling in the village.