A PATIENT whose left leg was 9 centimeters shorter than his right leg underwent a prosthesis replacement surgery at the Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University, according to sznews.com.

The patient from Yunnan Province, surnamed Zhou, had been bothered by his stunted hip joint for 42 years. He suffered bone tuberculosis after he dislocated his hip when he was 8 years old. Ever since then, his hip joint stopped developing, leaving his left leg 9 centimeters shorter than his right.

The disease has brought inconvenience to Zhou’s everyday life and constantly torments him with pain. He has traveled to different cities looking for medical treatment, but most of the doctors told him that it was too risky for him to undergo an operation.

Zhou was disappointed and almost gave up before he came to the Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University.

By analyzing a 3-D model of Zhou’s hip joint, doctors at the hospital were able to make a detailed plan for Zhou’s prosthesis replacement surgery. The four-hour surgery was performed successfully by Professor Wu Yaoping, a renowned surgeon invited to the hospital via the city’s “3R Project.” The project, launched by the city government, is aimed at introducing outstanding medical experts and resources to Shenzhen.

Doctors also removed blood clots in Zhou’s calf vein after he suffered complications three days after the surgery. A week later, Zhou had recovered well and was able to walk normally with both of his legs finally the same length, according to the report.

(Zhang Yang)