Doctors from Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai corrects Spinal Deformity in a 4 year old using 3D print technology
Gleneagles
Global Health City, the largest facility of Gleneagles Global Hospitals,
successfully performed spinal deformity correction surgery using 3D technology
on a 4-year-old girl from Sri Lanka. The child was suffering from congenital
scoliosis which is progressive in nature.
24th May 2019, Chennai: Congenital
scoliosis is an abnormal curvature in the spinal column caused by defective
segmentation or formation of vertebrae or both. The affected children will
develop abnormal curves in the spinal column as they grow and if the curves are
severe it has to be addressed. The severely deformed spine at the dorsal level
will also alter the shape of the chest cavity and prevent the lung from
developing normally. Congenital scoliosis occurs in only 1 in 10,000 newborns
and is much less common than idiopathic scoliosis, which usually becomes
evident at a young age.
The child was brought to the
hospital by her parents with breathing problems, recurrent episodes of chest
infection and difficulty in walking. She was found to have severe deformities
in the spine, causing it to be curved by 90 degrees. Normally the spine is
straight.
Deformity correction and Fusion
is the solution to prevent these curve progressions, but in young children, the
growth of the spine has to be preserved provided adequate space for the lung to
develop and gain sufficient trunk length. On analyzing, the team of spine
surgeons decided to opt for a growing rod surgery which is a non-fusion
technique. For children who are still growing and have not reached skeletal maturity,
growing rod implant surgery is often the recommended treatment to correct the
spinal curve and allow continued growth of the spine.
“Children with Congenital
scoliosis begin to develop the curvature right from the mother’s womb. The
curvature causes the spinal column to bend right or left in the shape of C or
S. It can cause pain, difficulty in breathing and physical limitations. In some
case, it can be fatal, due to restriction to growth of the lungs by the severe
curve said Prof Dr S Karunakaran, Director, Global Spine Institute at
Gleneagles Global Health City.
Doctors with the help CT scan
image created an anatomical 3D model of the vertebral column using 3D printing
technology. With these 3D models, they rehearsed the surgery as well as created
a template to make a tract in the pedicle of the vertebrae for the precise
placement of the screws. Once they are checked and found correct can be used
intraoperatively without the risk of screw malpoint causing neuro damage.
The surgery lasted over 4 hours.
The surgery was done under neuromonitoring to ensure that the spinal cord
function was stable during the correction.
“3D technology was used for the
first time in the country to elevate the treatment plan congenital early onset
of scoliosis. Decreased operating time, preoperative implant selection,
improved overall surgical outcomes are some of the advantages of this
technology. The complex shapes of the vertibroes of the spine warranted a 3D
model for planning the complex surgery. The age of the patient was also a
crucial factor. “added Dr S Karunakaran.
As a result of straightening her
spine, the little girl instantly grew 2.5 inches and most importantly, her 90
degree curve corrected to 60 degrees. The ‘before’ and ‘after’ x-ray films
speak volumes. While recovery is a fairly long process, the patient was
discharged from the hospital within 5 days. She has been advised to avoid
forward and bending rotation of spine. In cases of early onset of scoliosis, to
prevent neurological deterioration, improve lung function and to achieve
cosmetically acceptable deformity, the lengthening of the rods is phased and is
to be periodically lengthened every 6 months. This is done so as to keep up
with the child's growth. When the child has finished growing, generally the
rods are removed and a spinal fusion is performed. Hence, the patient will have
a few more repeat visits lined up with the team at Gleneagles Global Health
City, Chennai.
About Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai
Gleneagles Global Health
City, the sprawling 21-acre facility located in Perumbakkam, Chennai is the
largest facility of Gleneagles Global Hospitals India. With a capacity of over
1000 beds and accreditations from leading agencies, the facility is Asia’s most
trusted and leading Multi-Organ Transplant Centre. The hospital has undertaken
several path-breaking Liver, Neuro, Heart, Lung and Kidney procedures. It is
recognized by several international and national level accrediting agencies.
World-class infrastructure, dedicated staff and a commitment for medical
excellence are the USPs of this facility. The hospital has several achievements
to its credit and continues to work on several pioneering procedures.
Gleneagles Global Hospitals
has multi-super specialty hospitals in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and
Mumbai. The brand is the most preferred hospital group for multi-organ
transplants in Asia region. The parent entity of Gleneagles Global Hospitals is
IHH Healthcare, a leading premium integrated healthcare provider with a network
of 84 hospitals and more than 16,000 licensed beds. It is one of the largest
healthcare groups in the world by market capitalisation and is listed in the
Main Market of Bursa Malaysia and Main Board of SGX-ST. IHH is a leading player
in the home markets of Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and India, and in their key
growth markets of China and Hong Kong. Website: http://gleneaglesglobalhospitals.com/
