2023-09-29 16:11:00
Lula will undergo surgery this Friday to place a hip prosthesis to treat the symptoms of advanced osteoarthritis. The procedure will be carried out in the Brasilia unit of the Sírio-Libanês Hospital. Considered low risk, the surgery was recommended to Lula by her medical team, but the president has been postponing the procedure since last year’s election campaign. The president is expected to remain in the hospital until next Tuesday (3). After surgery, Lula will work from home for at least three weeks, at the Alvorada Palace.
Osteoarthritis is a disease associated with the loss of cartilage, a surface that covers the joints to prevent friction between the bones. “The joint is an almost perfect friction reduction system. Two surfaces of ice when rubbed together have more friction than two surfaces of healthy cartilage,” explains Giancarlo Polesello, hip surgeon at the Sírio-Libanês Hospital.
The main joints affected by osteoarthritis are those of the hip, as in the case of Lula, and the knees, according to Polesello. In the hip, osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the cartilage that covers the head of the femur (a thigh bone) and the acetabulum (part of the pelvis connected to the femur).
The advanced stage of the disease can cause symptoms such as severe pain in the groin, reduction and limitation of movement. The disease has different stages, which can range from asymptomatic to advanced. “Many osteoarthritis is completely asymptomatic. In more advanced stages, there begins to be pain due to friction between the bone surfaces,” explains the doctor.
Translated by AZAHARA MARTÍN ORTEGA
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