These Joint Replacement Surgery Patients Show That There's Still Life After Their Painful Ordeal

Recently, De Los Santos Medical Center, the medical facility in Quezon City founded by Dr. Jose V. De Los Santos Sr., the Father of Philippine Orthopedics, more than four decades ago, has organized a summer fashion show dubbed “Step Forward." The runway style presentation featured patients who underwent joint replacement surgeries at the hospital's Arthritis Center, and showed how they can walk normally after going through surgeries.

“The fashion show was conceptualized to showcase the life of our patients after the joint replacement surgery. The reason why we put up this kind of event is because we want to inspire other people, especially those who have osteoarthritis and joint damage either in their hips or knees, and assure them that joint replacement surgery is a safe surgery, and that they can enjoy the quality of life afterwards,” said Dr. Jose Fernando Syquia, Head of the Arthritis Center at the De Los Santos Medical Center.

“The Arthritis Center was started out of seeing the condition of our patients who cannot walk due to severe joint damage. Their common concerns are their fear that they won’t be able to walk again, or that the procedures may be expensive. So, here at De Los Santos Medical Center’s Arthritis Center, we came up with packages that offer more affordable yet premium and excellent joint replacement surgeries that come with a large private room, surgeons who are trained in the USA, treatment, anesthesia and therapy, all-in." 

People who are 65 years old and above are prone to developing osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disease of the joints which mainly affects the articular cartilage. It is associated with aging, and the weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees, are often involved in this wear-and-tear process. For others, their joints may be secondarily damaged by injury or disease. Unattended, the damage to the joints can worsen over time, and simple tasks like walking and climbing the stairs can become difficult and painful.

During the joint replacement surgery, the damaged or diseased part of the affected joints is removed and replaced with implants. In the hands of specially-trained orthopedic surgeons, joint replacement surgeries are reported to have success rates between 95% to 99%.

This type of surgery helps patients with arthritis find relief from joint pain, regain their mobility, and return to an active lifestyle. After joint replacement surgery, patients can be free to enjoy activities such as golfing, swimming, cycling, ballroom dancing, and low-impact aerobics and calisthenics.

The patients featured on the runway presentation shared their experiences on the catwalk, too! Mrs. Cherry Apple de Jesus, a 27-year-old recipient of total hip replacement surgery due to delayed complication from a motorcycle accident 10 years ago, shared her gratitude towards the Arthritis Center’s medical team. “Sobrang thankful po kami. Kasi sino po makakaisip na disabled tapos naging model pa! We are thankful to De Los Santos Medical Center for addressing our health problems, at ginawan nila kami ng privilege to model and walk,” she said.

Dr. Dina Jose, a 61-year-old doctor who underwent bilateral total knee replacement, also shared her healing journey: “It was great hearing the experiences of the other patients. More importantly, as a physician myself, you’ll realize that when you become a patient yourself, there’s a lot to it that you don’t realize you feel, the fear and anticipation are all there but you’re not alone, and suffering from joint pain is a common thing."

She added, "My advice is go and see your doctor. Listen to your body. Do not delay. The longer that you delay, the worse it can become and that was what happened to me. Don’t be afraid during the therapy.”

The patients/models worked the runway, donned in outfits with floral prints and bold colors in soft, flowy materials; the clothes were designed by fashion designer Edgar San Diego. “It is a summer collection, giving accents to the movements of our models for the show, showing that the former patients are back to their normal lives, back on their feet and can move, so I made the materials flowy so the clothes can show more of the models’ movements,” Edgar said.

De Los Santos Medical Center is located at 201 E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard., Quezon City. For more info on its arthritis center, you may visit http://delossantosmed.ph.

Photographs by Deiniel Cuvin