Lucknow, Nov 9 (IANS): For the first time in its history, the King George's Medical University (KGMU), has successfully performed a full shoulder replacement surgery.

The surgery was performed on a 51-year-old woman from Gonda, who had been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

The surgery was performed by Dr Kumar Shantanu, a specialist in orthopaedics at KGMU. He said that shoulder replacement surgery is necessary for patients whose shoulder joint is completely destroyed and whose muscles and ligaments are no longer repairable.

The patient, identified as Nankan, had already undergone successful hip replacement surgery at KGMU in 2022. However, her shoulder pain and stiffness had worsened over the past year, making it difficult for her to use her arms.

"I was in a lot of pain and I could not even lift my arms. I was very happy when I heard that KGMU was able to perform shoulder replacement surgery," she said.

The surgery was performed on November 6 and lasted about four hours. Nankan was discharged from the hospital a few days later and is now recovering well.

She is expected to be able to use her arm normally within a few months.

According to KGMU officials, it is the first time that the university has performed this type of surgery, which is typically only performed in major metropolitan areas.

"This is a major breakthrough for KGMU," said Dr Shantanu. "It means that we can now offer this important surgery to patients in the Lucknow region."

KGMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Sonia Nityananda said, “This is a significant achievement for KGMU. It demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients."