Two-year-old undergoes spine surgery

A two-year-old girl was treated for a rare condition of her spine at a city hospital. She was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, a condition where one vertebrae slips over another causing spinal cord and nerve root compression.

The condition could be congenital or due to trauma or degeneration. The girl developed sudden pain in the back and leg and was unable to move or walk.

When a lump developed on her lower back, the girl was taken to a nearby hospital.

An MRI scan revealed that she needed surgery, said G. Balamurali, head of spine surgery at Kauvery Hospital.

Since the child’s bones were undeveloped and soft, it was a challenge to conduct surgeries, he said.

‘Excellent results’

“The treatment had excellent results with the child’s deformity corrected precisely.

“There were no complaints of back or leg pain. Two months after surgery the child was able to walk straight and resume her normal activities,” he said.

The girl belonged to the fishermen community and could not afford the surgery. Funds were raised through Thalirgal project — an initiative of Rotary Club of Madras North, the State government and the Kauvery Hospital — apart from crowd sourcing, he added.

Hospital founder M. Selvaraj said: “So far the youngest case with similar diagnosis reported worldwide was of a three-year-old child. I congratulate Dr. Balamurali and team for successfully treating the child and relieving her from the agony of immobility.”