CHENNAI: A 13-year-old boy suffering from spinal deformity called ‘scoliosis’, was successfully operated in a rare instance as he was suffering from congenital cardiac surgery and was denied treatment citing acute complications in his case.
Despite being a complicated case, a team of doctors led by senior orthopaedics and spine surgeon, Dr Karthick Kailash conducted posterior spinal fusion with scoliosis correction surgery on the boy at Apollo Spectra Hospitals to recuperate the body.
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine has a sideways curve, which is usually “S”- or “C”-shaped. In some cases, the degree of curve is stable, while in others it increases over time and can interfere with breathing.
Explaining the case Dr Karthick Kailash said the boy was suffering from congenital heart diseases and had undergone two heart surgeries recently. “The spine had an 80-degree inclination in his spine, when 40-degree curvature itself requires medical intervention. The defect could have occurred due to anomalies in the two heart surgeries conducted on him a while back,” he said.
Severe cases of scoliosis appear mostly in children aged 0-16 years that can be acquired, congenital or can be genetic. “Only in mild cases, the curve corrects itself with growth, and braces, belts and surgical methods are necessary once the inclination crosses more than 40 degrees,” said Dr Karthick Kailash.
The boy has successfully recovered after the posterior spinal fusion with scoliosis correction surgery and can walk properly. However, medicos warn that though invasive and surgical alternatives to treat scoliosis are getting advanced, any child undergoing the scoliosis surgery should undergo neuro-monitoring. Neuro-monitoring ensures that nerves are not affected while surgery is being performed, which can otherwise have severe outcomes such as partial paralysis.
