CHENNAI: It has been exactly 10 years since Macci (56), a Bengaluru resident, paid the price for overspeeding on a bike. After doctors managed to piece his leg together through the multiple fractures, life had apparently seemed to have gone back to normal for the employee of a nationalised bank. “When I was working in Chikmagalur in 2008, I noticed that there was pus coming out of my leg. When I pressed it, a large quantity began oozing out,” recalled the elderly man. He immediately had it diagnosed and the verdict was osteomyelitis, which is a chronic inflammation inside the bone. “I had it operated the very next day but somehow the pus just didn’t stop,” he added. After this, he took this problem to the UK where chance played its part, “There was an Indian doctor there who suggested that an ortho-surgeon in Chennai named Dr Jagadeesan might be able to help,” he said and added, “I decided to give it a shot.”Two months ago, he checked into Trauma and Orthopedic Speciality Hospital (TOSH) at Chetpet, where Dr Jagadeesan also practices and his case was examined, “He had already had three operations to correct his problems in the leg and besides these he had also had some grafting done by plastic surgeons,” said Dr Jagadeesan, an Orthopaedic Surgeon, who specialises in Joint Replacement and Arthroscopic surgery. “There was a heavy growth of Staphylococcus inside his bone, that had just not responded to any antibiotics,” he added. This was when they decided to attempt a Lautenbach procedure — used extensively in Europe and America but relatively low-key in India.The technique involved was fairly complex — the infected bone had to be cleaned completely, any dead fragments needed to be removed, inside of the bone needed to be swabbed till it bled and a special tube drain needed to be fitted, “These tubes that were fitted into the bone were so that the antibiotic could be fed directly inside the bone for 3-4 weeks, so that any developing bacteria would be terminated,” explained the surgeon.Almost four weeks after, Macci said that he was happy that there had been no pus discharge ever since, and that the last two swab tests came out completely clean, “I’m hopeful that the infection doesn’t recur but in any case I am glad that it is rid of pus and I can wallk well now,” he said, hopeful that he could return home to Bengaluru soon.
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