Video: After 3 years in captivity, a defender of Mariupol has been given the chance to walk again without pain
A soldier from the Azov unit, who spent more than three years in Russian captivity, underwent a complex hip replacement surgery. Doctors in Lviv, with support from Orthotraum, implanted the prosthesis, and once he completes his rehabilitation, he plans to return to duty with his unit.
Ruslan Sereda, 54, has been fighting in the war since 2015. He was taken prisoner during the withdrawal from Azovstal. Even before the full-scale invasion, Ruslan—who served as a mortar gunner and constantly carried heavy equipment—suffered from joint pain. He says:
“The load was heavy: a body armor vest, a helmet, an assault rifle, and a mortar. That weight wore down my joints.”
While in captivity, of course, the soldier received no medical treatment, and by the time of his release, he was already walking with crutches.
Ruslan Sereda turned to St. Panteleimon Hospital after undergoing a military medical examination. At first, specialists tried conservative treatment methods, but due to severe coxarthrosis and osteoarthritis, therapy and physical rehabilitation did not provide lasting relief. The pain returned. In this situation, surgery was the only option.
Orthopedic traumatologists successfully performed hip replacement surgery. The patient received a modern cementless hip prosthesis from the American manufacturer MicroPort, provided by ORTOTRAUM LLC.
Today, Ruslan Sereda is already taking his first steps after surgery without the excruciating pain that had plagued him for years. Next, he will undergo rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center, followed by another surgery on his second hip joint.
In the future, he plans to continue serving in the “Azov” Brigade.
Source: First Medical Association of Lviv
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