Chennai, Mar 8 (UNI) For probably the first time in the world, a ''Proxima Hip'' replacement was successfully carried out on a young person who had undergone two renal tranplantations by the city-based Bharathiraja Speciality Hospital here.

The operation was successfully performed by Dr A K Venkatachalam, a leading orthopaedic surgeon, who claimed it was probably the first-of-its-kind in the world as there were no reports of the procedure being undertaken on a patient who had undergone renal transplantation.

Speaking to UNI, he said the 34-year-old patient, a practising advocate of Madras High Court, had come to him with complaints of hip and knee pain which he had been suffering for the last three to four years.

The two-hour procedure was quite risky and challenging as the patient had previously undergone two renal transplants. The first one failed and the second one was successful.

The immunosuppresants used after renal transplantaton had induced a condition called bilateral avascular necrosis of hips.

Intake of immunosuppressant made joint replacement risky as there was high incidence of infection.

However, the procedure had to be carried out to enable him to continue with his avocation and besides that the patient's marriage was scheduled for next month, Dr Venkatachalam said.

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