Walawalkar International Medical Journal (Oct 2019)
Can India Pioneer Developments In Local Need Based Orthopedics, With Indigenous Solutions? Pointers From A Tertiary Care Center In A Village Called Shreekshetra Dervan
Abstract
Aim: India has amongst the largest populations of geriatric age groups in the world today. About 9 % of India i.e.126 million people fall in the Geriatric age group. With increasing lifespan this segment is projected to grow further to 175 million by 2025. India as a nation is also the largest contributor to a scientific & Holistic lifestyle since eons with Yoga and Ayurveda. However, in an era of evidence- based medicine, our creativity needs to translate into further development of biological, indigenous, function friendly, minimally invasive and economically viable solutions. Our aim was to find, whether India’s inclusive approach to health can help us evolve newer treatment strategies which are minimally invasive and more in keeping with Asian/ Indian centric functions, cultural & financial health needs. Materials and Methods: The below mentioned Indigenous path was developed based on the spiritual principles of our center, which also contributes to the social advancement of the people in this part of India. It consists mainly of: A) Holistic Healthcare lifestyle derived from Ayurveda, Yoga & Sports medicine B) Innovations in maintaining natural state of health C) Clinical practice dictated by minimal intervention where needed, minimally invasive surgeries, use of biological solutions contributing to earlier recovery, shorter hospital stays and economically viable solutions. The total number of operative patients for the Holistic Health and Surgery protocol was 738 patients in last 3 years. All of them followed the above criteria of treatment A, B, and C. They were further asked 3 main questions 1. Were they satisfied with the relief of preoperative symptoms by non surgical or surgical methods ? 2. Were the patients satisfied with the cost of the procedure and value for money spent on surgery and treatment? 3. Would they recommend the same treatment to another member of their family ? Results: Based on a telephonic survey conducted by our secretarial staff, the results were as follows. 738 surgeries were performed by our team following our indigenous protocol of holistic health care for rehabilitation and health. These included methods of rehabilitation & lifestyle changes, use of our innovations in surgeries guided by minimally invasive principles & use of biological solutions. The goal of surgery was not only relief of symptoms but also total or near total functional resumption of activities after surgery. In answer to the first question: Were the patients satisfied with the relief from symptoms by surgery or nonsurgical methods, an overwhelming percentage of 89.7% patients answered in the affirmative. In answer to the second question of whether the patients found the costs to be affordable, 93.5 % said that they found they found the expense “value for money in terms of the change it had made to their quality of life”. However, 34 % also added that the expense was paid for by a close relative and they would have preferred it to be paid by the socialized healthcare system run by Government or Semi-government agencies. To the question of whether they would recommend the same treatment methodology to others, an overwhelming 98.1 % answered in the affirmative.
