A 48-year-old Guyanese man who suffered years of severe joint damage from haemophilia is walking again after doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) successfully performed a complex total knee replacement, in what the hospital has described as a landmark achievement in Caribbean haemophilia care.
Pooran Sookdeo underwent the procedure on September 22, 2026, following years of complications associated with Hemophilia A, a lifelong bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of clotting factor VIII.
According to GPHC, repeated bleeding into Sookdeo’s joints had caused severe damage to his right knee, significantly restricting his mobility and affecting his ability to work and support his family.
Major orthopaedic surgery on haemophilia patients carries significant risks because of the possibility of excessive bleeding during and after an operation. GPHC said the procedure therefore required careful management of Sookdeo’s clotting factor levels, laboratory monitoring and coordinated postoperative care.
The surgery was conducted through GPHC’s partnership with the Louisiana Center for Bleeding & Clotting Disorders at Tulane University in New Orleans under the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Twinning Programme.
The surgical team included Dr. Kaaleshwar Ramcharran and GPHC’s Orthopedic team, working alongside Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Chief of Adult Reconstruction at Tulane University, Dr. Fernando Leon Sanchez.
Sookdeo’s bleeding management was coordinated locally by Consultant Hematologist Dr. Kamela Bemaul-Sukhu and Senior Medical Officer Dr. Jamal Shamsudeen, in collaboration with Dr. Maissaa Janbain, Associate Professor of Medicine at Tulane University and Director of the Louisiana Center for Bleeding & Clotting Disorders.
“Carefully planned factor VIII replacement before and after surgery, together with close clinical monitoring, was essential to minimizing bleeding risks and supporting recovery,” GPHC said.
The procedure also involved specialists from anaesthesia, nursing, physiotherapy, laboratory and operating theatre services.
Sookdeo has since been discharged from hospital and is walking, with GPHC reporting no complications to date. He continues to undergo physiotherapy three times per week as part of his recovery.
The surgery formed part of a three-day WFH Hemophilia Treatment Centre Twinning Visit from September 21 to 23, during which local healthcare professionals also participated in specialist training and consultations.
Activities included multidisciplinary case discussions, training in ultrasound-guided intra-articular joint injections and education on haemophilic joint disease, von Willebrand disease and modern approaches to managing bleeding disorders.
The programme also included collaboration between visiting and local obstetrics and gynaecology specialists aimed at strengthening care for women living with bleeding disorders.
GPHC said the successful surgery demonstrates Guyana’s growing capacity to provide complex specialist healthcare through international partnerships, knowledge transfer and multidisciplinary care.
For Sookdeo, however, the immediate impact is more personal. After years of restricted mobility caused by the disease, he is now back on his feet and continuing rehabilitation towards greater independence.
