Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, by performing India’s First Fusionless Scoliosis Surgery on a 14-year-old girl, transformed her life. Dr. Sajan K Hegde and his team successfully performed a fusionless scoliosis surgery on a 14-yearold girl who was affected by Scoliosis, an abnormal sideward curvature of the spine.
Recognising the sudden changes in their daughter’s posture, the worried parents of Shreya brought her to Apollo Hospitals, Chennai from Delhi. Shreya, who was fine like any other child, started showing signs of deformity in her spine when she turned 12; she experienced pain and there was an increase in the deformity. She was also unable to carry out her day-to-day activities. Medical interventions at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai revealed that she was affected by Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). This abnormal sideward curvature of the spine is usually seen in young girls aged 8-12 year, it affects two to three per cent of children between the age group of 10 – 18; a time when the human body is growing at its most rapid pace.
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis results in an unsightly distortion of the rib cage, trunk and shoulders and severe scoliosis can also cause cardiopulmonary problems. Surgical treatment is often recommended for patients whose curves are greater than 35 degrees, while they are still at a growing stage. Traditionally, fusion surgical treatment is performed to address this issue, where metal implants are attached to the spine, and then connected to two rods. These implants hold the spine in a corrected position until the instrumented segments fuse as a single bone. As compared to the fusion surgery, fusionless scoliosis surgery aims to support spine growth and movement. The conventional treatment also diminishes growth in height as lengthening proceeds.
Speaking about the revolutionary procedure, Dr. Sajan K. Hegde, said, “Fusionless Scoliosis Surgery is a shorter, less invasive, less expensive surgery that preserves motion and function in patients while lessening the chance of developing back pain later in life. This technique can now be used in selected cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis where the deformity is corrected using a flexible cable. Here no fusion of the operated portion of spine is performed. These children can return back to full normal activities faster and participate in their favourite sports, dance or yoga.”
The patient underwent physiotherapy and as her ribcage, trunk and shoulders were aligned and became better, she resumed her normal day-to-day activities.
