Pune:In 2015, a leg injury set Vrushali Pramod Patil on a path no one expects: a diagnosis of Giant Cell Tumor (GCT) in the left proximal tibia. The benign-but-aggressive tumor would define her next ten years—until a decisive turn in Pune changed everything.
The first counterattack came in 2016 at Dhule, where surgeons performed curettage—scraping the tumor from bone. Hope held for a while, then faded. GCTs are notorious for coming back. By late the next year, they did. On 13 December 2017, at Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, Vrushali underwent curettage with cementing to fill the defect and internal fixation with plating to stabilize the tibia. It was meticulous, it was modern—and the fight was far from over.
The battle darkened with infection. A stubborn, drug-resistant MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) took root, opening a watery discharging sinus that would not heal. On 4 June 2022, TMH surgeons removed the implant and cement, then re-cemented and re-plated the bone in a bid to suppress the infection and reinforce the limb. Even so, the wound kept weeping—and with it, confidence.
Everything changed in July 2024 at Vencer Hospital, Pune, when Dr. Bhushan Shitole, Director and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, reframed the mission: first defeat infection, then rebuild. On 3 July 2024, he led aggressive surgical debridement and applied Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) therapy to evacuate contamination and stimulate healthy tissue. Culture-sensitive medication was started alongside VAC, targeting MRSA based on microbiology results—a coordinated strike to sterilize the battlefield before reconstruction. Two weeks later, on 16 July 2024, with the infection controlled, the VAC was removed and secondary suturing secured a quiet, clean wound.
Only then did Dr. Shitole make the definitive move. On 11 September 2024, he performed a tumor prosthesis reconstruction of the knee and proximal tibia, replacing destroyed bone and joint surfaces with a specialized implant engineered for function and durability. Sutures were removed on 1 October 2024, marking the end of the operative chapter and the beginning of recovery.
Follow-up tells the outcome that matters. At one year, Vrushali is fully ambulatory without support, infection-free, and shows no evidence of recurrence—a return to independence after a decade of detours. “In complex oncology-reconstruction, timing is everything,” said Dr. Shitole. “Stage one: win the infection war with meticulous debridement, VAC, and targeted antibiotics. Stage two: deliver durable function with a tumor prosthesis. Her recovery reflects patience, precision, and teamwork.”
PUNE: Nearly ten years after that first injury, Vrushali’s fight is finally over. “I can walk beside my family again without fear. Dr. Shitole didn’t just fix my leg—he gave me back my future,” she said, voice steady with relief. A relentless tumor, a stubborn MRSA, five major surgeries, and one unwavering surgeon later—this suspense-filled journey ends not in pain, but in possibility.