Karnataka launches toll-free expert second opinion helpline for knee and hip replacement surgeries

The state health department launched a 24/7 helpline under the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust for people who would like an expert opinion on such matters.

Bengaluru: Patients across the state can now avail a free second opinion for complex surgeries such as total knee and hip replacements from an expert panel of doctors sitting in Bengaluru.

The state health department on Tuesday launched a 24/7 helpline (1800 425 8330) under the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) for people who would like an expert opinion on the need for total knee replacement or hip replacement (TKR or THR) surgeries, any non-invasive alternatives, and additional information about the procedures such as risks or complications and advantages or disadvantages to help them make informed decisions.

In the preliminary stage, the department is enabling expert advice for aforementioned replacement surgeries, banking on the expertise of orthopaedic surgeons from Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics (SGITO), the Centre of Excellence, Victoria Hospital and other hospitals. With time, the panel will comprise doctors with expertise in other complex surgeries so people can enquire about other procedures as well, doctors said.

Patients can avail this information in both Kannada and English, and available doctors can request them to share further details such as their x-ray scans and other reports from an earlier consultation with a doctor via WhatsApp. A four-and-a-half-minute recorded sample of how this conversation would go was played, and a live follow-up of the same patient was conducted during the launch.

Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, noted that at least 80 referrals have been made to private hospitals to take up the total knee or hip replacement surgeries under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Arogya Karnataka ( AB-PMJAY-ArK ) scheme. "At least seven cases did not require surgeries. In nearly 20 cases, additional documents were required. If they were available, maybe more people would not have required surgeries," he said.

Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao hinted that Karnataka was likely the first state to offer such a service at the government level. "This would reduce unnecessary surgeries for patients who can obtain relief through lifestyle modifications. A second opinion would also instil confidence among patients," he said. This would also encourage people to seek out government hospitals for such procedures and potentially help build expertise among doctors in local hospitals across the state through mentorship programs by experts from Bengaluru.