CHENNAI: Doctors at Apollo Hospitals successfully performed a fusionless scoliosis surgery on a 14-year-old girl who was affected by scoliosis, an abnormal sideward curvature of the spine.
According to a press release from the hospital, Shreya started showing signs of deformity at the age of 12. She experienced pain and was unable to carry on her day-to-day activities. The girl was diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) at Apollo Hospitals.
This abnormal sideward curvature of the spine is usually seen in young girls aged 8 years to 12 years. It affects two to three per cent of children between the ages of 10 and 18.
Traditionally, fusion surgical treatment is performed to address AIS, 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.
Compared to the fusion surgery, fusionless scoliosis surgery aims to support spine growth and movement. In fusion-less scoliosis surgery, the deformity is corrected using a flexible cable. Fusionless scoliosis surgery is a shorter, less invasive, and less expensive surgery that preserves motion and function in patients while lessening the chance of back pain later in life.
In fusionless scoliosis surgery, the patients can return to normal activities faster. Shreya is on physiotherapy, her posture has improved. Her ribcage, trunk and shoulders are aligned, and getting better. She is back to her daily activities.