Karrar Nadhir Al-Rubaie’s Journey from Iraq to India for Robotic Bilateral Knee Replacement

At 40, Karrar Nadhir Al-Rubaie from Iraq felt that his knee problems were becoming far too limiting for his age. Simple activities had started requiring more attention, and discomfort in both knees was affecting the way he moved through the day. He did not want to keep changing his routine around his knees, so he began seriously considering surgical treatment.

Karrar discussed the situation with his family and started researching options outside Iraq. India became part of that search as he looked for specialised orthopaedic care and modern techniques for knee replacement. His medical reports and imaging were reviewed before travel, giving the treatment team an opportunity to understand his condition and explain the possible surgical approach.

The possibility of replacing both knees was a major decision. Karrar wanted to know why bilateral replacement was being considered, how robotic assistance would be used, and what the recovery period would mean for his mobility. He also wanted to understand how much time he might need before returning to normal activities.

Those discussions helped him prepare for the journey. Travelling from Iraq to India while facing a major operation was not something he took lightly. There were arrangements to make and plenty to think about, but having his family involved made the decision easier to manage.

Once in India, Karrar went through the necessary consultations and pre-operative assessments. Meeting the medical team in person helped turn the treatment plan from something he had read about into something he could actually understand and prepare for.

The surgery itself was a significant milestone. Knowing that both knees would require treatment made the day more emotional, even though he had already spent considerable time preparing. His family remained close and waited for updates while the procedure was underway.

Recovery then became the real test of patience. Karrar had to work on movement gradually and follow his rehabilitation programme carefully. The early days involved assistance and controlled walking, followed by small improvements that gave him encouragement.

He began paying attention to progress that might otherwise have seemed insignificant: standing a little longer, taking more steps, and feeling less hesitant with movement. Rehabilitation became a daily commitment rather than something he expected to finish quickly.

Having his family nearby remained important. Their support helped him stay motivated on the days when recovery felt slower than he had hoped.

For Karrar, coming to India was ultimately a decision to address a problem that had begun affecting both knees and his independence at a relatively young age. The experience required preparation, courage, and patience, but each stage helped him move closer to returning to everyday life with greater confidence.

Looking back on his experience, Karrar said:

“Because both of my knees were giving me trouble, I knew I could not keep treating them as separate problems forever. I spent a lot of time asking what recovery would actually look like and whether I would be able to manage it. The robotic approach was something I wanted to understand before making my decision. After surgery, I realised that the hardest part was being patient with myself. The first few days were very different from what I was used to, but every improvement—especially being able to stand and walk more comfortably—gave me a reason to keep going.”

Thank You
Karrar Nadhir Al-Rubaie from Iraq