NEW DELHI: A 35-year-old former Indian Army officer suffering from partial paralysis got back on his feet after doctors at a city hospital repaired his spinal cord. He had suffered a serious lumbar fracture following an accidental fall from a 30-feet-high balcony in Uttarakhand. Doctors said his case was critical due to the unstable fracture. His bone was crushed and pressing the spinal cord severely, they said.
Himanshu, formerly a major in the Indian Army, was based in Haldwani in Uttarakhand when he fell from the balcony, which did not have any rails. Soon after the fall, Himanshu felt severe pain in his back and developed weakness in his right leg almost immediately. He could not walk or stand after some time due to partial paralysis in his right leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where the doctors suggested immediate surgery to prevent further problems. But they did not have the specialist who could operate. As a result, he was shifted to the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in the city for the surgery.
Dr Neeraj Gupta, senior consultant, spine Surgery at ISIC, said, “The lumbar vertebrae are the five largest and strongest of all vertebrae in the spine and they comprise the lower back. Hence, any impact on this part of the body leaves a lasting effect. Major Himanshu was brought in with severe pain in his back and upon examination, we found that he had a fractured lumbar spine. Because of the unstable fracture, the bone was crushed and pressing the spinal cord severely, technically known as ‘compression fracture’. We had to decompress the spinal cord very carefully and remove all loose fracture fragments which were compressing the spinal cord.”
“After the accident, my biggest worry was whether I’ll be able to stand and walk again. But after four hours of surgery, I was able to stand and walk independently with the help of walker,” Himanshu said.