Complex spine surgery successfully done on two-year-old Bangladeshi child in Chennai

Successful corrective surgery for severe spinal deformity in a two-year-old child at Kauvery Hospital, led by Dr. Krish Sridhar.

A two-year-old child from Bangladesh underwent successful corrective surgery for a severe spinal deformity at Kauvery Hospital on Radial Road recently. The girl, who had a history of spinal tuberculosis at six months of age, was suffering from a progressive hump on her upper back and developed leg weakness, doctors said.

Group Mentor of Neurosciences and Director at the Institute of Brain and Spine Krish Sridhar, with his team, identified a roughly 90-degree curvature deformity (Kyphosis) or a bend in her backbone and spinal cord compression. The condition was corrected and the spine was reconstructed in an eight-hour transthoracic procedure, performed through the chest wall, led by Dr. Sridhar.

Dr. Sridhar said, “The procedure was done keeping in mind the developmental changes related to children’s growth.” She was discharged after a week in the hospital and resumed playing and normal activities. He added, “The bone will start healing better and will get better at healing more over time.”

Ponniah Vanamoorthy, anaesthesiologist, underscored the advancements in surgical techniques and equipment that facilitated the proper administration of anaesthesia for a child with such a severe deformity.

The child’s mother, Samma Islam Tithi, expressed gratitude for the medical expertise in Chennai, through a video.

Dr. Sridhar concluded by saying, “A similar procedure was performed successfully on a 14-year-old girl last week. Spinal complications can be congenital [since birth], due to infections, accidents or a tumour. Pain is the primary symptom. People should not fear spinal surgery and should seek diagnosis without hesitation.”