Kerala Orthopaedic Milestone: Mitera Hospital Pioneers Single-Stage Surgery to Save Athlete's Career
Mitera Hospital, Kottayam, sets a new benchmark in orthopaedic care by pioneering a cutting-edge, single-stage procedure for complex knee injuries, drastically accelerating an athlete’s return to the game.
A young, aspiring footballer who faced the prospect of a long, multi-staged recovery from a devastating knee injury has found a new path back to the pitch, thanks to a medical milestone achieved at Mitera Hospital, Kottayam.
The athlete had suffered a severe knee cartilage injury combined with a major Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) tear—a challenging dual trauma that typically sidelines players for extensive periods. Mitera Hospital’s specialized orthopaedic team successfully treated both complex conditions in a single, minimally invasive surgical session, marking a first for Kerala for this specific combination of injuries.
The Challenge: Staged vs. Single-Stage Recovery
Traditionally, treating such extensive cartilage damage and a major ligament tear requires multiple, staged surgical procedures. The old method involves:
● Two surgeries: One to harvest tissue (autograft) and one to implant it.
● Dual-site pain: Significant discomfort at both the donor site and the injured knee.
● Prolonged absence: A much longer rehabilitation and delayed return-to-play timeline.
The Innovation: Regenerative & Single-Stage
Mitera Hospital’s pioneering approach successfully eliminated these drawbacks. Under the expert guidance of Dr. Georgy J. Kuruvila, Senior Orthopaedic Consultant, and Dr. Ashish Jacob Mathew, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, the team executed both procedures simultaneously:
1. Cartilage Regeneration with Hylofast:
The severe cartilage lesion was treated using an innovative American-made, biodegradable Hylofast scaffold. This scaffold acts as a natural template, actively encouraging the patient’s own cartilage cells to regenerate and form new, healthy tissue, eliminating the need for a painful donor harvest.
2. MCL Reconstruction:
The torn Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) was simultaneously and successfully reconstructed in the same session.
“This single-stage approach represents a significant leap forward in sports medicine,” says Dr. Georgy J. Kuruvila. “By combining the regenerative cartilage technique with the ligament repair, we minimize patient morbidity, eliminate donor site pain, and most importantly, get our athletes back to their peak performance much faster.”
A Triumph for Kerala Orthopaedics
This successful, single-stage surgery—treating both a complex cartilage injury using a regenerative scaffold and a major ligament tear—underscores Mitera Hospital’s commitment to adopting the most advanced, minimally invasive techniques for complex sports trauma.
The young footballer is now progressing rapidly in rehabilitation and is enthusiastically looking forward to a triumphant return to the football field.
Mitera Hospital, Kottayam, is dedicated to delivering world-class, patient-centric orthopaedic care, utilizing cutting-edge technology and expertise to ensure the best outcomes for athletes and all patients.
For consultation or appointments with Dr. Georgy J. Kuruvila or Dr. Ashish Jacob Mathew, please contact Mitera Hospital, Kottayam