Pune: 63-Year-Old Woman Walks 3,500 KM After Knee Replacement Surgery
Pune, 8th July 2021: In a rare feat, 63-year-old Sulbha Kulkarni completed her 3500 km Narmada Parikrama (circumambulating Narmada river) after replacing her both the knees. Thanks to Robotic Joint Replacement surgery and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Neeraj Adkar of Sai Shree Hospital.
It all started in 2009 when Sulbha was facing severe pain in both her knees. However, she kept postponing the surgery owing to her government job and household responsibilities. But the pain had limited her movements. When in 2015 she retired from her job, she decided to go for knee replacement surgery.
She got in touch with Dr Adkar of Sai Shree Hospital in Aundh who with the help of Robotic Joint Replacement successfully carried out the surgery. The positive attitude after the surgery helped Sulbha to realise her dream of tourism.
After the surgery, she went to Rajasthan, Girnar and even completed four Dham (four sacred pilgrim places according to Hindu religion). She also completed Narmada Parikrama on foot. For this journey, she started from Pune on November 2, 2019, and started her Parikrama on November 5. Every day she would walk for 15 to 30 km and completed her Parikrama on May 19, 2020.
Dr Adkar said, “with the help of newer technologies there have been lots of improvements in surgeries. The patient who undergoes the surgery has to stay less in the hospital similarly, within a short span of time can do the movement of the joints. I think Sulbha Kulkarni is ideal for those who think that after surgery life has stopped.”
