16 year old successfully treated for fatal spine deformity

 A 16-year-old Male child from Warangal came to KIMS hospital, Secunderabad with rapidly growing spine deformity, upper body swinging away from the trunk, walking difficulty, back pain, and distorted physical appearance. 

Parents noticed this deformity when he was 8, by then it was in a mild form. He was taken to nearby doctors for treatment. They came to know with an X-ray that he has a complex type of congenital spinal deformity. There were multiple fused vertebral bones and ribs, which progress rapidly with the age.

His parents sought medical advice from many doctors and surgeons. Having learned that their son's deformity is a very complex one, there is a fair chance that he could suffer spinal cord injury and lose sensation in his bowel and bladder.

When he came to the KIMS hospital, his right shoulder was near hip level, the abdomen was retracted in, and the chest was pushed forward. There was a hump in his back and a distortion of his chest cavity. In the back region, his fused ribs and spinal bones are giving him breathing difficulty and can shorten his life if left untreated. With all these issues and associated social stigma, the patient and parents became anxious.

They learned about Dr. Suresh Cheekatla, Consultant Orthopaedics & Spine Surgery at KIMS Hospitals Secunderabad, which has world-class sophisticated equipment such as the O-ARM, neuro-monitoring, and spinal navigation to treat their child's congenital scoliosis. An X-ray, Whole Spine CT scan, and MRI of the patient were all suggestive of congenital dorsal kyphoscoliosis. A thorough pre-operative workup includes consultation with cardiologists and pulmonologists.

As the patient is nearing skeletal maturity and considering the socio-economic status of the parents, the doctors tried to reduce the cost of surgery by using CT, intra-operative O-arm, and Neuro-monitoring equipment. The single-stage corrective surgery usually takes 6-8 hours.

Assisted by Dr. Naresh Kumar, the anesthesia team, Dr. Suresh Cheekatla performed the surgery. His spinal curvature was reshaped with the help of intra-operative neuro-monitoring and O-Arm without any complications. He was made to walk on the same day of surgery and was discharged on the third day itself. The patient and his parents got much relieved and thanked the medical team and management of KIMS hospitals.