Read our powered by our community 🙌 Check out our 🙌
Meet another patient

Watsi logo blueWatsi

Success! Hour from Cambodia raised $1,500 to fund hip surgery to alleviate his pain and allow him to walk without difficulty.

Hour
100%
  • $1,500 raised, $0 to go
$1,500
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Hour's treatment was fully funded on January 7, 2023.

Photo of Hour post-operation

February 1, 2023

Hour underwent hip surgery to alleviate his pain and allow him to walk without difficulty.

Hour was anxious to have surgery due to the longstanding pain he had been experiencing. He and his parents traveled over eight hours to our medical partner CSC, where he had his joint replacement. He spent several days in the hospital and received antibiotics and Factor VIII for his hemophilia. Doctors are watching him closely for any signs of bleeding. Hour can now start weight-bearing exercises with the team to regain some strength. Hour’s life will improve because he will be able to walk without pain and without assistance. Doctors are looking forward to seeing him again for his post-surgery check-up and to determine if he needs further surgical care.

Hour’s mother said: “My son has had a difficult life, and it was so hard to see him so weak and in constant pain. We have hope that his pain will disappear and he can be more active. We are very grateful to the hospital staff who have taken good care of him and to the strangers who helped to pay for his medicine and surgery. We hope he will be able to have a better life. Thank you to all the donors who helped.”

Hour was anxious to have surgery due to the longstanding pain he had been experiencing. He and his parents traveled over eight hours to our ...

Read more
August 10, 2022

Meet Hour! He lives in Cambodia with his parents, who both work as farmers. His 26-year-old brother works as a seller at a local market. Hour completed school up to 6th grade, but he no longer attends. He enjoys spending time listening to music, playing games, and meeting friends.

When he was a toddler, Hour was diagnosed with hemophilia, a medical condition that severely reduces the ability of blood to clot. This causes him to bleed heavily from even slight injuries.

Four months ago, Hour began experiencing pain in his hips. He was diagnosed with bilateral hip necrosis, a painful condition that occurs when the blood supply to the head of the femur, or thighbone, is disrupted. Because bone cells need a steady supply of blood to stay healthy, his condition can ultimately lead to the destruction of his hip joint.

Hour is currently unable to walk without support, has anemia, and is in chronic pain. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), is helping him receive treatment. On August 10th, he will undergo a joint replacement, called an uncemented hip arthroplasty. CSC is requesting $1,500 to fund Hour’s treatment and care.

Hour shares, “I am thankful that I have a chance to have a new hip. This treatment will help me be able to work to help my family in the future.”

Meet Hour! He lives in Cambodia with his parents, who both work as farmers. His 26-year-old brother works as a seller at a local market. Hou...

Read more

Hour's Timeline

  • August 10, 2022
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Hour was submitted by Sieng Heng at Children's Surgical Centre.

  • August 10, 2022
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Hour received treatment at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre in Cambodia. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • August 10, 2022
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Hour's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • January 7, 2023
    FULLY FUNDED

    Hour's treatment was fully funded.

  • February 1, 2023
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Hour's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Treatment
Hip arthroplasty-uncemented
  • Cost Breakdown
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
On average, it costs $1,500 for Hour's treatment
Hospital Fees
$171
Medical Staff
$494
Medication
$0
Supplies
$827
Labs
$3
Radiology
$5
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients typically experience severe hip pain and difficulty walking or standing. By the time Children's Surgical Centre provides treatment, patients have often lived with these symptoms for months or more. A total hip replacement (THR) treats hips that are severely damaged and therefore not amenable to other forms of treatment.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Patients may not be able to walk or walk with great difficulty. Physical activity is extremely restricted, making any movement painful. This prevents patients from carrying out daily life, going to work, attending school, or taking care of themselves and their families.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

Many Cambodians use motorbikes as their main form of transportation. Because of weak traffic laws, motorbike accidents are common. Injured individuals who cannot afford treatment often self-medicate or rely on Khmer traditional healers. Their fractures never heal, and patients live with the pain. Steroids are a common pain treatment in Cambodia. No prescription is required. Individuals who do intense physical labor take steroids regularly, which restricts blood flow to the joints. This causes bone tissue death and tiny bone breaks, making bones more susceptible to breaks and fractures.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

During a hip replacement, doctors replace both the acetabulum (hipbone socket) and femoral head (head of the femur) with prosthetic implants. Doctors remove the dead or broken bone. A cup is inserted into the acetabulum, and a metal hip prosthesis is inserted into the femur. Surgeons use a different technique to embed the prosthesis in the bones without using cement. The implant is more costly and preferred in patients that are younger.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

The patient will be able to walk independently without pain, improving their ability to work physical labor and quality of life.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Severe disability, arthritis, and avascular necrosis of the hip can be successfully treated by a THR. This treatment is highly effective, with few risks.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

Most Cambodians visit Khmer traditional healers before seeking modern medical care. As recently as ten years ago, a total hip replacement was entirely unavailable in Cambodia. Children's Surgical Centre is one of the few centers that provide this procedure. This procedure is more costly than the more common cemented version, as any potential revision surgery in the future is easier and the hip replacement may last longer.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

There are other surgical alternatives, and much depends on the type of fracture, the health, and the age of the patient. Patients can elect to undergo hip fusion surgery and postpone the total hip replacement until later in life. In young Cambodian patients, surgeons may opt to use uncemented hip replacements albeit a more expensive procedure.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.