India's First 2- year old girl treated successfully for lower back Spondylolisthesis by Kauvery hospital

• The condition in the lumbar region of spine is very rare among children;
• A Spondylolisthesisin the lower back causes pain thus creating difficulty in mobility;
• The youngest case reported so far worldwide was of a 3-year-old child

Chennai, 20^th January 2021: Spondylolisthesis in the lower spine or lower back is where there is an slip of one vertebrae over the other causing Spinal Cord and Nerve Root Compression. This is usually caused due to trauma, degeneration or congenital problems. This condition is very common in adolescence, aging adults but very rare in children causing severe symptoms.

(L-R) Dr Balamurali, Head of Department Spine Surgery, Kauvery Hospital, 2 year old Liya Shree (Patient), Dr Keerthivasan, Consultant Ortho and Spine Surgeon, Kauvery Hospital and Dr Manivannan Selvaraj, Founder and Chairman Kauvery Group of Hospitals.

Kauvery Hospital, one of the leading healthcare chains in Tamil Nadu successfully treated a 2-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis of the L5-S1 vertebra - a complete slippage of one vertebra over the other. ‘The girl developed sudden back and leg pain, and she was unable to move or walk. Slowly, there was a lump that developed on her lower back and she was immediately taken to a Local hospital for diagnosis. The child had MRI scan and afterfew investigations it was clearly confirmed that the child had severe spinal cord and nerve compression and needed surgery,” said Dr G Balamurali, Head of Department Spine Surgery, Kauvery Hospital. 

This condition is very rare among children and there is no documented medical literature that details a treatment plan for this disorder. Only a few cases have been treated successfully at this age. “The challenges in such a young age are the undeveloped soft bones.The treatment had excellent results, with the child's deformity precisely corrected. There were no further complaints of back or leg pain. 2 months after the surgery, the child was able to walk straight and resume her normal activities.” adds Dr Balamurali. 

The child belonged to the fishermen community and her family could not afford the surgery. Hence various sources of funding were raised through the Thalirgal project an initiative of Rotary Club of Madras North, Tamil Nadu Government, Kauvery Hospital and some outside donors through crowd funding helped to perform the surgery.

Speaking on the uniqueness of case, Dr Manivannan Selvaraj, Founder & Managing Director Kauvery Hospital said, “So far, the youngest case with a similar diagnosis reported worldwide was of a 3-year-old child, and this treatment by Kauvery Hospital on a 2- year -old child is the first case reported worldwide. I congratulate Dr.Balamurali and team for successfully treating the child and relieve her from the agony of immobility.” 

About Kauvery Hospital: Kauvery Hospitals is ‘A new Age Family Hospital’ with Multi Specialty Clinical Expertise and a pioneer in the ‘HealthCare Provider’ industry, making healthcare affordable. Kauvery is one of the few corporate hospital chains to successfully integrate operations into Tier 1 cities after launching into Tier 2 cities. It is also one of the few hospitals founded by Medical experts with a keen focus on delivering personalized and specialized health care with warmth.

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