07 Sep Patient Testimonials: oedema reduction following knee surgery
Millions of individuals across India depend on government run institutions to receive orthopaedic surgery and access post-surgical care. As part of this, implementation of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) concept is reliably leading to reductions in length of hospital stay, and readmission rates, across numerous surgical specialties, including orthopaedic surgery for knee repair and replacement. ERAS is becoming an increasingly crucial part of a successful knee surgery, leading to the early mobilisation and the release of patients to manage their recovery and rehabilitation in the home setting.
Impacting ERAS is post-operative oedema (the medical term for swelling). Oedema is reported as high as (53.3%) by Zhang et al and represents a significant health issue, and unmet need, with few tools to reduce pre and post-operative swelling related to orthopaedic trauma and elective surgeries. Failure to manage swelling can delay surgical fixation, impede wound closure, decrease muscle strength and stall rehabilitation. MedTech innovation that can address oedema – and those able to follow a patient home – are right to be placed at the heart of ERAS. The clinically proven geko™ device speaks to this achievement.
Small-in-size, the wearable, self-adhesive geko™ device is applied to the surface of the skin just below the knee. It delivers a gentle electrical pulse, once per second to the common peroneal nerve, activating the calf and foot muscle pumps, increasing blood flow in the deep veins of the calf at a rate equal to 60% of walking without a patient having to move. Through its unique mechanism of neuromuscular electrostimulation, the geko™ device enables oedema clearance by local reabsorption of excess interstitial fluid into the vasculature and lymphatic systems.
Testimonials: the geko™ device in oedema reduction
Two patients in Kolkata, India were recommended the geko™ device by Dr Santosh Kumar, a leading knee replacement specialist and Founder President of Poorva International Orthopaedic Foundation.
The first patient, Mrs Namita Basu, had undergone a bilateral total knee replacement surgery (TKR) in July 2022 at Bellevue Hospital. She developed post-surgical pedal oedema around nine months later and was advised by Dr Santosh Kumar to start her treatment with the geko™ device. After a home visit from a specialist, who demonstrated an ideal routine with the device, Mrs Basu was able to apply the device and self-manage her way to a full recovery.
Mrs Champa Chakraborty also underwent TKR surgery and, following a successful procedure, swelling began to develop in both of her legs. To reduce the oedema, Dr Kumar prescribed her the geko™ device, which she used for 15 days. Mrs Chakraborty reported that the swelling was completely reduced within a month, providing great relief and allowing her to return to life as normal.
MedTech driving accessible healthcare
Global care concepts, like Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), are being introduced to help patients access timely and more effective treatments. ERAS protocols in orthopaedics focus on four areas – pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative and discharge – aiming to provide patients with counselling and education before surgeries, reduce surgical times and minimise invasive surgical methods, as well as provide physiotherapy to get patients back to their daily habits as quickly as possible.
Across India, the geko™ device is playing a crucial role within ERAS, encouraging patients to self-manage enabling rehabilitation to begin sooner and recovery to be quicker – compared to the traditional method of leg elevation while immobile. Last year, the geko™ device was made available on the Government of India e-Marketplace (GeM), further enabling its role in driving better patient outcomes across the country.
Watch the patient testimonials here:
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