Are you looking for it services & solution provider?
Debosmita Ghosh • 03 Aug 2024
5-Year-Old Girl From Rajasthan Undergoes Lifesaving Spine Surgery, Know About Congenital Scoliosis
5-Year-Old Girl From Rajasthan Undergoes Lifesaving Spine Surgery
A five-year-old girl from Kothputli, Rajasthan, has successfully undergone a crucial spine surgery. She was suffering from severe congenital scoliosis which caused the child extreme pain and risks to her heart and lung development due to her spinal deformity. Doctors say that the surgery was conducted in a bid to save her life and was urgent and indispensable.
The patient started displaying signs of spine deformity when she was around three years of age. This started increasing rapidly as she grew. She also started developing severe pain on one side of her waist as her rib cage had started digging into her pelvic bone because of the spinal curve. She also started developing shortness of breath after normal work and play, possibly because of compression of the lungs on one side of the spinal curve.
Dr Tarun Suri, Senior Consultant and HoD, Spine Surgery, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad explained that the girl was examined by the Spine Surgery team. The patient’s scoliosis curve was around 90 degrees at admission and was increasing at a rapid rate as seen in serial X-rays. “She had also developed severe costo-pelvic impingement, a condition in which patient’s rib cage starts digging into pelvic bone and causes severe pain; the space available for left lung and heart had also decreased considerably due to the severe scoliosis, making this surgery so vital.”
If left untreated, the curve would increase severely and it would hamper the child’s future growth. The effects on the lung and heart were also likely to bring down the life expectancy of the child. The only way this could be managed was with a complex spine surgery, said Dr Suri.
A team of 15 people which was headed by Dr Tarun Suri conducted the six-hour surgery. She underwent growing rod surgery, where screws are placed at the top and bottom of the spine, connected by rods that are lengthened every six months to accommodate spinal growth until she is about 10 years old, at which point definitive fusion surgery can be performed. The five-year-old recovered very fast after the surgery. A brace was made for her to support the spine and she was made to walk 2 days after the surgery.
What is Congenital Scoliosis?
Congenital scoliosis is a condition wherein there is a sideways curvature of the spine that is caused by a defect that was present at birth. The condition is seen in only 1 in 10,000 newborns. OrthoInfo says that children with congenital scoliosis sometimes have other health issues, such as kidney or bladder problems. Even though congenital scoliosis is present at birth, it is sometimes impossible to see any spine problems until a child reaches adolescence.
Causes of Congenital Scoliosis
Here, take a look at some of the following that might occur during the development of the baby in the womb which eventually causes the condition.
Bones (vertebrae) in the spine may not form normally
Bones may form partially
Bones may not be separated as they should be
One or more bones in the spine may be absent.
Symptoms of Congenital Scoliosis
Here, take a look at some of the common symptoms seen in Congenital Scoliosis, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Tilted, uneven shoulders, with one shoulder blade protruding more than the other
A rotation of the neck causing the head to tilt in one direction
Prominence of the ribs on one side
Uneven waistline
One hip higher than the other
Overall appearance of leaning to the side
In rare cases, there may be a problem with the spinal cord or nerves that produces weakness, numbness or a loss of coordination.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.