Chennai’s favourite karate master kicking with new knees

Chennai: On January 24, 2020, popular karate and archery expert, Shihan Hussaini underwent a successful bilateral total knee replacement surgery at MGM Healthcare, a super-specialty hospital in the heart of the city. The team of senior surgeons at the Department of Orthopaedics, together with skilled anaesthetists and pain management experts, rehabilitation therapists and nurses, ensured that Hussaini received the best of comprehensive care offered at MGM to provide maximum benefits and accelerated recovery.
 
Commenting on the procedure, Dr AB Govindaraj, Senior Consultant & Clinical Lead, Orthopaedics, said, “The most common reason for a bilateral total knee replacement, simply called double knee replacement, is severe arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in both knees, which interferes with activities of daily living and significantly reducing one’s quality of life. Stiffness can be significant, making simple tasks such as putting on one’s shoes and socks very difficult. Pain is usually worsened with weight-bearing activities, such as standing and walking. Arthritis of the knee is a progressive condition, worsening with time. The ideal patient for a double knee replacement surgery would be a relatively younger, healthier, non-obese individual with stiffness, pain and limitation of activities. Shihan Hussaini, with his sportsman personality and fitness regime, fulfilled these criteria and made the job easier for us.”
 
Dr Govindaraj is known to be one of the few doctors in Chennai who regularly performs double knee replacement surgery on patients who suit the criteria rather than do one knee at a time. “Same-day double knee replacement surgery is an established and proven procedure that has given patients immense satisfaction by halving the recovery time and reducing the overall cost significantly." On account of surgical precision, advanced technology and protocols, and his own willpower, Shihan Hussaini walked unaided Day 3 post-surgery; climbed up and down the stairs on Day 4 and even drove his car with the lead surgeon in the passenger seat on Day 5, creating a world record of sorts.
 
Syed Ali Murtuza Hussaini, popularly known as Shihan Hussaini, needs no introduction. A creator of unbelievable human endurance world records, he is known as the ‘Godfather of Isshin-ryū Karate’ in India and the pioneer of modern archery in Tamil Nadu. Shihan Hussaini is also India's only disciple of Taekwondo's founder Gen Choi Hong Hi. In addition to his sportsman persona, he is also a professional sculptor and painter, a master orator, a proactive volunteer and a new-age philosopher.
 
Speaking about his experience at MGM Healthcare, Shihan Hussaini said, “My life has always been driven by the need to constantly be on the move and be physically active, ask anyone who knows me. So, when I started facing problems with both my knees, it began to take a toll of my activity level, although I continued to push myself harder and harder each day to keep my students motivated. With this surgery, Dr AB Govindaraj and MGM Healthcare have together given me new knees and a new lease of life. Having finished both knee surgeries on the same day and immediately starting off on rehabilitation, it has allowed me to recover faster and has motivated me to bounce back even harder. Driving a car five days after surgery is a world record, as there is no record of an attempt like this before. That was possible thanks to the great team that took good care of me.”