NE HEALTH BUREAU
CHENNAI, APR 28
If you thought that the United States of America is far more advanced in healthcare, now it is time to change that perception. Singara Chennai is the healthcare capital of self-reliant India offering state-of-the-art medical facilities. Apollo Hospitals on Tuesday announced that it has successfully performed a fusionless scoliosis surgery on a 42-year- old female American athlete at its Chennai facility.
A team of doctors headed by Sajjan K Hegde, Chief Spine Surgeon and Clinical Director, Institute of Robotics, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai successfully performed the fusionless scoliosis surgery for the first time on the athlete.
Daniel Fry, a counsellor, who underwent the procedure told the virtual press conference on Tuesday that she was diagnosed with scoliosis and was suffering from idiopathic scoliosis, a curvature of spine when she was an 11 year old.
An athlete who participates marathons regularly said, “I felt discomfort than the pain. Though the medical experts said the curvature will not progress once I stopped growing. But, the condition further worsened and increased pain and therapeutic care did not respond well.’’
“Though I know very well about the conventional fusion surgery, I am unwilling and did a thorough research on fusionless scoliosis surgery that provides greater mobility and found very few US surgeons are performing it. Besides these, enquiry from insurance firms reveals that they won’t reimburse claim for this fusionless scoliosis surgery in US.’’
“After that my family decided to go for the surgery on our own cost and found that Dr Sajjan K Hegde of Apollo is doing it in India. We flew in here nearly seven months ago and are happy with the surgery,’’ Fry said.
Dr. Hegde said Fry’s curvature of the spine was unusual and resulted in extreme pain. “She was not treated properly when she was young and hence it worsened further,” he said.
Commenting on the surgery, Dr. Hegde, said, “Fusionless Scoliosis Surgery takes minimal time, less invasive, less expensive surgery that preserves motion and function in patients while lessening the chance of back pain later in life. This technique can now be used in idiopathic scoliosis where the deformity is corrected using a flexible cable. Here no fusion of the operated portion of spine is performed. These patients can return back to full normal activities faster and lead their life trouble free.”
The patient is under physiotherapy, her posture has improved her ribcage, trunk and shoulders are aligned and getting better. She is back to normal day-to-day activity and is returning to the US this week.
Asked when Fry can lead a normal life and begin her athletic activities, Dr Hegde said, she would be completely recover and participate in regular marathon runs after three months, and she was advised to go for swimming immediately after returning home.
Preetha Reddy, vice-chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said the procedure done for the first time on an adult showed the hospital’s commitment to world class outcomes and that too during the pandemic and returning to their native place this week.
