Kolkata, 20 February (H.S.): In a significant medical achievement, doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have successfully performed a rare allograft transplantation to reconstruct the shattered femur of a 31-year-old accident victim, potentially saving his leg from amputation.

The patient, Rizauddin Mondal, a daily wage labourer from Bira in North 24 Parganas, had suffered a devastating injury in a road accident in 2023 when a truck hit him. The distal femur of his right leg was severely fractured, with the bone piercing through the skin and causing extensive damage near the knee joint. Despite multiple surgeries over nearly two and a half years, reconstruction of the femur above the knee had failed, leaving amputation as the only remaining option.

Hospital authorities arranged for a preserved cadaveric bone graft (allograft) from Hyderabad at a cost of approximately Rs 2.40 lakh, funded through the institution’s own resources. Based on CT scan findings, a 3D model was prepared and sent to the concerned facility, which subsequently processed and prepared the graft before it was transported to Kolkata.

The complex allograft fixation surgery was successfully carried out on Tuesday. Doctors are optimistic that the patient will regain mobility and be able to lead a normal life.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sunit Hazra, who led the procedure, explained that in such cases there are only two options—either amputation or reconstruction using an allograft. Considering the patient’s young age, the medical team opted to preserve the knee joint through bone reconstruction. He noted that allografting involves transplanting specially preserved bone or tissue from a deceased donor into another patient, particularly when reconstruction with the patient’s own bone is not feasible.

Fresh cadaveric allografts are both rare and expensive, making the procedure highly challenging. Hospital Superintendent Dr. Saptarshi Chatterjee stated that this is the first such allograft reconstruction of its kind not only in the state but in the entire eastern region of India.

Head of the Orthopaedics Department, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, congratulated the orthopaedic and anaesthesia teams for the successful outcome, calling it a landmark achievement for the institution.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh