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Broken bone? Fracture fixation through small cuts
Has someone in your family broken a bone? Where it suits the break, Dr Imran Salim Malik repairs it through small cuts instead of one long cut, to protect the muscles and blood supply around it.
Not every fracture suits small cuts. Dr Malik decides after examining the patient.
How a broken bone can be fixed
Dr Malik decides based on the type of break, the skin and muscle around it, and the patient’s health.
A metal plate is slid along the bone through small cuts, holding the pieces in line while the bone heals.
For the thigh bone and shin bone. Strong support, so weight can often go on the leg early, when Dr Malik says it is safe.
Thin wires hold a broken wrist, hand or finger in place while it heals, without a larger cut.
Often fixed with a nail inside the thigh bone through small cuts. Some breaks are better treated with a hip replacement.
Pins joined to a frame outside the body, when skin and muscle are too swollen or damaged for a plate or rod at first.
An older parent with a broken hip
What families can expect, as a guide. How well a parent walks again depends on the fracture, their health before the fall and physiotherapy.
Some breaks near the ball of the hip are treated by replacing the joint. Hip replacement page
Stop smoking and all tobacco, including naswar. It slows bone and wound healing.
Checks first
Surgery is done as soon as your parent has been checked and is fit for it.
Up soon after
Most patients are helped out of bed soon after surgery.
Hospital stay
Dr Malik will tell you how long your parent is likely to stay.
Home
A walking frame (walker) and a commode at first. Ask the team to show the family the exercises before you go home.
Questions families ask about fractures
Does it suit every fracture?
No. Dr Malik tells you after examining the patient and checking the X-ray. When it does suit the fracture, the cuts are smaller and there is less harm to the muscles and blood supply, which can mean less blood loss and getting up a little sooner. The bone heals in about the same time as after open surgery.
How long is recovery?
It depends on the bone, the type of break and the fixation used. Many patients are up and moving within days. Dr Malik checks the X-rays to decide when you can put full weight on the limb.
What are the risks?
Every operation has some risk: infection, blood clots in the leg, the bone being slow to join, problems with the metal, stiffness in nearby joints, injury to a nerve or blood vessel, sometimes a further operation, and for older patients a chest infection or short-term confusion. Dr Malik explains your own risks before the operation.
Will the metal need to come out later?
It depends on the implant, the bone and the patient. Some plates and rods stay in for life; others are removed later. Dr Malik will tell you at your follow-up visits.
How much does it cost?
We tell you the consultation fee on WhatsApp before you book, so there are no surprises. A follow-up visit within 5 days of your first consultation is free to go through your reports and scans.
The cost of surgery depends on the operation, the implant, the room and the nights in hospital. It is explained to you before you decide.
Not sure which treatment the fracture needs? Ask us on WhatsApp.
Book a consultation
WhatsApp or call +92 300 4890692. Urdu or English, whichever you prefer.
What to send us
- The patient’s name and age
- The problem, in a line or two
- A photo of any X-ray or MRI