Delhi: Virtually bedridden IT professional gets new lease of life at Saket hospital

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) For nearly 27 years, 47-year-old IT professional Harish Baluja lived with excruciating pain, fused hips, and bent knees that left him virtually bedridden.

His life changed this year when doctors at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, planned and carried out surgeries to replace all four of his major joints — both hips and both knees — within a few months. "I had almost given up hope of ever walking straight again. Even simple things like standing upright or sitting comfortably seemed impossible," he recalled.

The procedure corrected decades of deformity caused by ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis, enabling him to walk upright again.

"I was confined to a squatting or curled-up position for months. After the hip surgery, I could sit properly for the first time in years. Following the knee surgeries, I stood up within hours and looked at myself standing tall. That was the moment I realised my life had truly changed," Baluja said, describing the transformation as nothing short of a second chance at life.

A team led by Dr Ramneek Mahajan, Chairman, Orthopaedics, Joint Replacement and Chief Robotic Joint Replacement, explained that the surgery was staged — starting with bilateral total hip replacement, followed by bilateral robotic knee replacement.

The approach allowed Baluja to regain strength gradually before the final operation. "The case was highly complex. In such situations, conventional surgeries often fail to restore function. A meticulous plan ensured not only mobility but independence for the patient," Mahajan said.

Discharged with a structured rehabilitation plan, Baluja is now undergoing physiotherapy and expects to return to work in just a few weeks. "After years of struggle, I feel like I have my life back," he said.

The case, doctors said, highlights both the challenges of long-ignored musculoskeletal conditions and the potential of advanced orthopaedic interventions to restore quality of life. PTI NSM NSM MPL MPL