It was a frosty winter morning just a few weeks before Christmas when Versha Pandit, a skilled Anaesthetist, was on her way into work at a local hospital. After parking her car and gathering her things, she had no idea her day was about to take a drastic turn. As she walked across the carpark heading in to start her day she suddenly slipped on some ice. Within seconds of the fall, she knew that serious damage had been done. The accident resulted in an open fracture in her leg, requiring immediate surgery and ultimately, months of recovery…
Initially, Versha’s recovery was difficult and required her to take strong pain medication, which left her with some unpleasant side effects. Not only was she off work for three months, but she was also inhibited from her daily activities. After several weeks, the injury and recovery process began to wear down and impact her mental health.
However, thanks to a suggestion by Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Joyti Saksena, at Total Orthopaedics – a new technology dramatically improved her recovery. Understanding Mrs Pandit’s struggles with pain medication during her recovery, Mr Saksena thought of the Game Ready Boot – a device used by a few previous patients to aid healing of their leg injuries. Thinking that this could help address Mrs Pandit’s pain without medication, he contacted the representative for the company and started the referral process.
The Game Ready Boot provides an easy-to-use cold compress which can cover the entire leg, or just certain areas such as the knee or ankle. In addition to the cold compress, it also pulsates, helping to increase blood flow and circulation to the injured area. The combination of cold and pressure helps with pain management naturally, providing the wearer with less pain and improved mobility after use. The temperature of the boot can be changed by the patient themselves, and can be set up and used at home, without any trips to the hospital. The Game Ready Boot can be used as often as needed and does not have any side effects.
Versha was sceptical of the Game Ready boot at first, but was ready and willing to give it a try. Once she started using it, she instantly noticed a reduction in swelling, aching and throbbing. She was blown away by the results – in just over a month she was returning to work with increasing independence as each day went by. She was so grateful for Mr Saksena’s suggestion to try the Game Ready Boot, as it allowed her to ease off her pain medication and take control of her recovery
Mr Saksena was also impressed by her results, saying ‘Mrs Pandit saw a real step-change in her recovery after she started using the Game Ready Boot. I had patients use this for other injuries before, but not for one of her severity. I was so was pleased to see how much it helped her manage pain post-injury and surgery. In her case, it was really important to look at options that would help relieve pain and swelling – without medication. At Total Orthopaedics we treat each patient individually, tailoring their treatment and recovery recommendations to provide them with truly personalised care.’
Versha has nearly made a full recovery. She has been able to return to work, can exercise again and is back taking care of her 2 young boys.
Mr Joyti Saksena has been a Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon since 2009. He undertook his medical training and graduated with honours in 1995. Mr Saksena is now the Director of Medical Education at Barnet & Chase Farm hospitals and Royal Free Hospital.
