Chennai: A rare and highly specialised neuro-surgery was recently performed on a 13-year-old spastic child by a group of doctors at Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre.
Spastic children tend to have difficulty in movement due to the stiffness in their arms and legs. Sandhya was also suffering from the same problem with her legs being stiff most of the time. She found it difficult to move her thighs and was unable to sit cross-legged on the floor. Her hips were also turned to one side and her knees had become permanently crooked and so had her ankles. Due to this, she was left dependent on a wheelchair which turned her daily duties into a challenge for her.
The surgery was done on December 28, under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme so that the already stressed family had little financial burden.
Dr K Visvantham, Senior Consultant, Neurosurgery at SRMC, said, "We performed a specific operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy that improved the condition of the patient and tightness of the limbs. The surgery was done on December 28, under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme so that the already stressed family had little financial burden."
Sandhya recovered quickly after the surgery and was officially discharged within five days. She now has the ability to sit cross-legged on the floor. Her legs do not appear to be stiff like before and the physiotherapy team is encouraged to build and improve on this reduction in limb tone.
