Recently, 73-year-old Bangladeshi patient Mr. Mohammed Golam Sarwar successfully underwent a left knee replacement surgery at the Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU). Thanks to the team's precise diagnosis and treatment, he has now regained the ability to walk independently.
Mr. Sarwar had suffered from bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees for five years. Due to limited medical resources in his home country, he traveled to the FAH of XJTU seeking treatment. As an elderly patient with a history of hypertension and diabetes for over a decade, he presented with severe varus deformity of the left knee prior to surgery, including a 3×4 cm bone defect caused by collapse of the medial tibial plateau. The orthopedic team, led by Chief Physician Dr. Han Xuezhe, Associate Chief Physician Dr. Bian Weiguo, and attending physicians Dr. Yang Weizhou and Dr. Liu Jiantao, initiated a “precision diagnosis and treatment model”. After multiple preoperative discussions and in collaboration with the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, the team performed accurate osteotomy, repaired the bone defect with Kirschner wire and bone cement, and released the medial collateral ligament, ultimately completing the procedure successfully. On the first postoperative day, the elderly patient was able to get out of bed and move around, with significant improvement in both deformity and joint function.
During the rehabilitation phase, the nursing team implemented the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) concept. Prior to surgery, Head Nurse Liu Donghua guided the patient through prehabilitation exercises such as ankle pump movement. On the postoperative day, Head Nurse Zheng Li provided hands-on demonstrations for repositioning and muscle training. Within 24 hours, the patient was assisted in getting out of bed, and by 72 hours, he had regained the ability to manage daily activities independently. To overcome language barriers, nurses communicated through English, translation software, and gestures, ensuring daily wound care and guidance for the patient's family. A “pain-free recovery” plan was adopted, combining preemptive analgesia with dynamic postoperative pain management, ensuring the patient’s comfort throughout the entire recovery process.
Upon discharge on June 5, Mr. Sarwar and his family expressed their heartfelt gratitude. Head Nurse Zhou Xiaoling stated that the team will promote the "China ERAS Nursing Program" through a "one-stop service" model, enabling more international patients to benefit from it and putting into practice the vision of building a "community with a shared future for mankind".
From struggling to walk to returning home with steady steps, Mr. Sarwar’s medical journey is not only the Department of Orthopedics of the FAH of XJTU for its comprehensive expertise in managing complex joint replacements in elderly high-risk patients, but also adds a heartfelt chapter to international medical cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative framework.
