Girl's spinal deformity cured through surgery

A seven-year-old girl suffering from Scoliosis has successfully undergone corrective surgery at a hospital here.

Scoliosis is a medical condition in which the spinal axis has a three-dimensional deviation.

Pinki was born with a deformed spine which made her life difficult and also posed to her a risk of accidents and health complications.

According to medical experts, such misalignment requires six-seven surgeries on a progressive basis to keep correcting the spinal curvature and maintain spinal growth.

Worried about Pinki's future, her parents took her to several hospitals. They were later suggested to consult Ashok Johari, a orthopedic surgeon who runs Children's Orthopedic Centre in the city.

Taking cognizance of the spinal deformity, Johari used a revolutionary new surgical procedure named 'MAGEC' to treat Pinki. She underwent the surgery Dec 20 last year.

According to the new technique, magnetic rods are used to correct the grossly deformed spine of the patient.

Pinki was first such patient in western India to undergo this latest surgical procedure.

Johari said that through the use of 'MAGEC' technique, Pinki will not only get better but get freedom from six-seven subsequent surgeries that would have been needed in the conventional mode of surgery.

Under this technique, 'MAGEC' rods are used in spine surgeries but for a magnetic actuator. Once implanted, subsequent distraction (lengthening) can be managed from an external magnetic controller.

This controller can be used by the physician during routine visit. This exercise is completely pain free, does not require anesthesia or even a pain killer.

"Initially when Pinki was brought to the clinic, her scoliosis progressively increased. Such patients have to be treated early before the curve advances aggressively and is a threat to normal functioning of other organs," Johari said in a statement. He has performed the same procedure on two other children with similar conditions.

He said that in the absence of 'MAGEC', the patients have to undergo six-seven surgeries.

"These surgeries carry a potential risk associated with anaesthesia, blood loss, infection and above all mental trauma to small child and parents," he said.

"Pinki is perfectly fine now and her bone deformity has been cured," he added.