Underprivileged
spastic children get new lease of life with deformity correcting surgery at
Columbia Asia Hospitals, Kharadi
·
Children with spastic disorders suffer
complete loss of mobility and function if medical treatment is not given on time
·
Columbia Asia Hospitals, Kharadi ties
up with NGO to help medically neglected children improve their lives
Pune,
March 20, 2015: In a bid to help medically neglected
spastic children gain some mobility and independence, orthopedic specialists at
Columbia Asia Hospitals, Kharadi have collaborated with an NGO to conduct deformity
correcting surgeries on financially deprived or abandoned kids.
The procedures have already given a new lease of life to
two young children who were hitherto unable to stand or walk and were confined
to beds.
Spasticity is a muscle control disorder caused due to
imbalance of signals from the central nervous system to the muscles. This
imbalance results in an inability to control muscles and causes tightness or
stiffness in them.
In young children born with cerebral palsy, spasticity
can be controlled and managed with right medical attention from the early
years. However, in children in whom the condition is ignored for a long time,
it often results in permanent disability. Often, kids who are orphans or
abandoned or whose parents do not have the financial wherewithal to seek
medical intervention suffer a permanent disability such as flexion contracture.
Such was the case with 9-year-old Shreyas (name changed) and
10-year-old Pratham (name changed).
The two young kids, who are among several children
looked after at NGO Snehalaya, were operated upon at Columbia Asia Hospitals,
Kharadi to correct their knee deformity, with generous help from Pune-based
philanthropist Mr. Rohit Bhatia, who is CEO of a dotcom company.
The
surgery was conducted by Dr Ashish Ranade, Consultant Pediatric Orthopedic
Surgeon and Dr Sinukumar Bhaskaran, Consultant, Orthopedics and Joint
Replacement Surgery.
“Flexion contracture is a condition in which a joint is
bent and cannot straighten itself with its own muscle power. In the case of
these spastic kids, their knees were bent due to longstanding deformity and
needed a complex surgical procedure to straighten and make them functional. Both
of these kids were completely immobile, restricted to a bed or chair. They
could neither stand nor walk. The aim of the procedure was to improve their
condition, ensure some mobility and reduce their dependence. While it may not
be possible for them to become 100 per cent normal and start running, we could
certainly ensure that they are at least able to walk with help of a stick. This
would make much difference to their difficult lives,” says Dr Sinukumar Bhaskaran.
The surgery on the kids took roughly three hours each
during which the doctors performed bone deformity correction as well as soft
tissue release on the knees. Once the bone deformity is surgically corrected, a
titanium plate is implanted to fix and hold the corrected bone.
Through surgical intervention, the knees that were bent
for several years were straightened and remodeled, including the bone and
tissue.
“Since it was a condition that received much late
medical attention, the challenges were profound. The bone and tissue had not
just had to be straightened but also remodeled to a significant extent. Other
areas of the bone had to be realigned. For example, due to longstanding
deformity the patella of the knee had migrated to a higher level. This had to
be re-aligned to achieve better knee bending,” says Dr Ashish Ranade.
The surgery in such cases has to be followed by a
prolonged period of rest, rehabilitation, physiotherapy and exercise.
"These are kids who have either been
abandoned due to financial problems or orphaned. An ability to stand and become
independent would make much difference to their lives. we are very happy to see
the two kids able to stand on their feet after years of disability." Says Dr Sunil Rao, General Manager,
Columbia Asia Hospital, Kharadi, Pune
Almost 4 weeks after the surgery, the two children are
responding very well to the treatment and have started standing and even
walking a few steps with support.
“In most cases, such children spend a lifetime of
disability. In some cases, surgeries are held in camp like scenario where the follow
up and post operative care is not good enough, compromising the outcome. We
have tried to ensure the best possible outcome for these kids. We have helped
them enough to substantially improve their mobility and quality of life,” said Dr Bhaskaran.
The doctors at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Kharadi have
already conducted surgeries on four children, with the first two already
started walking. They further plan to help 10-15 such children whose lives
stand to gain significantly from deformity correcting surgeries.
About Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd.
Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. is one of the first healthcare
companies to enter the country through 100% foreign direct investment (FDI)
route.
About Columbia Asia Group of Companies
The Columbia Asia Group is owned by more than 150 private equity
companies, fund management organizations and individual investors. The group
currently operates eleven facilities in India and has presence in Ahmedabad,
Bangalore, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mysore, Patiala and Pune. The company
also operates hospitals in Malaysia (10), Vietnam (3), and
Indonesia (3). The Indian management operations are managed from its office in
Bangalore.
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