First hip arthroscopy at govt facility performed on 60-year-old at SSG Hospital

Vadodara: A 60-year-old man from city, who had acute hip pain, found relief after undergoing a hip arthroscopy at the state-run SSG Hospital here.
On Saturday, doctors said that they had successfully performed a hip arthroscopy — commonly known as a hip scope — for the first time at a govt facility in Vadodara, at SSG, the largest govt hospital in central Gujarat.
Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows doctors to examine the interior of the hip joint. Using an arthroscope — a tube with a camera attached — surgeons can diagnose and treat various conditions within the joint.
"This patient was suffering from femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition where abnormal contact between the bones — the femur and acetabulum — causes pain and can damage the joint, leading to stiffness and restricted mobility," said Dr Dhruv Sandip Shah, assistant professor in the department of orthopaedics at SSG Hospital.
The patient approached the hospital two weeks ago with severe hip pain that had significantly limited his movements. For the past two months, he had been unable to attend work at a private firm.
"After conducting the necessary investigations and confirming the diagnosis, we offered the patient the option of undergoing minimally invasive surgery. With his consent, we proceeded with hip arthroscopy. Compared to traditional open surgery, this procedure offers several benefits — it is less invasive, enables faster recovery, causes minimal muscle damage, and results in very little blood loss," Dr Shah said.
The patient was discharged within 24 hours of the surgery, with only two stitches. Following this successful procedure, the govt hospital has now begun offering minimally invasive surgeries for all types of joints, completely free of cost to patients.