Patient NVT (28 years old, Binh Thuan province) was admitted to the Institute of Orthopedics, Military Hospital 175 with pain in the femur and the inability to walk normally. Through clinical examination, the doctor discovered that the patient had femoral head necrosis on both sides, in a severe stage.
According to the patient, he works as a manual laborer and has a habit of drinking alcohol, drinking nearly 1 liter of alcohol a day on average. This habit has lasted for 7 years and is the main cause of his femoral head necrosis becoming more serious.
Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Phan Dinh Mung - Director of the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Deputy Director of Military Hospital 175 said that recently, the hospital has performed free hip replacements for 50 patients, at a cost The fee was coordinated by a group of doctors from Chicago, USA. Currently, at the Institute of Orthopedics, Military Hospital 175, the rate of young patients with femoral head necrosis is about 12%, a very high rate compared to the world average. Worryingly, the number of young patients with bilateral femoral head necrosis is also increasing.
Young patients of working age who suffer from necrosis of the femoral head will have their ability to work seriously affected. Total two-joint replacement (femoral head and acetabulum replacement) costs about 70,000,000 - 80,000,000 VND (excluding health insurance). After replacement, the hip joint can last 15-20 years, after which a second hip replacement is required. The second replacement is much more difficult and the cost also increases.
“In the past, osteonecrosis of the femoral head often appeared in people over 40 years old, but now, the number of people aged 20-30 years old with the disease is increasing, showing a rejuvenating trend of the disease. Notably, the main cause of this rejuvenation mainly comes from alcohol and tobacco addiction...
The treatment and early detection of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in young people is difficult, because most patients are subjective, thinking that with the health of youth, hip pain will only go away in a few days. Therefore, they often come to the doctor late and the disease is already in a severe stage. The smoking habit is difficult to quit and young people's subjective perceptions make them less likely to update information related to their health when there are signs of illness," Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Mung added.
