The Federal Medical Center, Katsina has successfully conducted the first total hip replacement surgery at the facility, the Chief Medical Director of the centre, Dr. Sulieman Mohammed, has said.

Speaking with newsmen over the feat, Mohammed said the two hours operation was conducted by a team of surgeons adding that it went on smoothly as the patient is fast recovering.

According to him, the feat recorded is unprecedented giving the renewed commitment of the centre to provide improved healthcare delivery to the populace.

In his remarks, the Head of Orthopaedic surgeon department in the hospital, Dr. Muhammed Salihu, said hitherto patients with such ailments are referred to other neighbouring facilities and outside countries like India for such operation.

He said the patient was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis (AVN) which affected the femoral head of his left hip saying “the hip joint is completely eroded while the cartilage has been damaged.”

“The surgery entails removing all the damaged parts and replacing them with implants and artificial parts,” he added.