Doctors straighten teen’s curved spine
Walking upright was the dream of this 14-year-old girl for the past few years. Suffering from scoliosis – a disorder that bends the spine - she had been struggling to perform simple daily chores.
On Saturday afternoon, her dream came true as she walked out of the Healthcity Trauma Centre and Superspeciality Hospital (HTCSH).
In scoliosis, the spine gets bent, either to the right or to the left, making it difficult to carry out everyday tasks.
“If left untreated, the condition can lead to serious consequences. But this child is fine now,” said Dr Sunil Bisen, neurosurgeon at HTCSH, who operated on her.
Director HTCSH Dr Sandeep Kapoor said the surgery for scoliosis was started long time back. “But this has been taken forward. There are a few surgeons in India performing the procedure for scoliosis correction. In UP, Dr Bisen is perhaps the only one,” said Dr Kapoor.
Statistically, doctors say, 2 to 4% population suffers with scoliosis, with up to 10 to 12 degree curve. The condition becomes visible when the curve is around 40 degrees.
“This is sufficient to disturb one’s daily routine, and the body appears bent,” said Dr Sandip Garg, also the director of HTCSH.
Complicating the operation was the fact that the girl was suffering from Marfan syndrome too -- a genetic disorder that affects overall height and the length of arms and fingers.
“We corrected the bent spine. There are titanium nails holding the bones, and she stands as straight as all her other family members,” said Dr Bisen.
Doctors say most patients have scoliosis due to some other health problem.
“In such cases, two surgeries have to be performed. So, the patient’s hospital stay can increase,” said a doctor.