The doctors at Manipal hospital, Old Airport Road, performed a very complicated and miraculous life-saving surgery on a 36-year-old patient suffering from severe Kyphoscoliosis with respiratory insufficiency in Jan 2012.

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Dr S Vidyadhara, HOD and Consultant Spine and Scoliosis Surgeon, Manipal Spine Care Centre at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, Bangalore and his team worked with great commitment and vigor to give the patient a new lease of life.

Kyphoscoliosis, which means, abnormal lateral and forward curvature of the spine, is a serious and life-threatening
condition due to its ill-effects on the lungs and heart. The patient, underwent the extremely risky surgery at Manipal hospitals, Old Airport Road, and survived it through sheer determination and grit. The dedicated team of doctors was successful in performing the 8-hour long surgery, carrying a death risk of 50 percent and a ventilator dependence risk of 90 percent, giving the gallant the patient a new lease of life.

The patient had been battling severe health-related problems since a long time. In his early childhood, he started having trouble breathing due to severe Kyphoscoliosis problem and chest wall restriction. He also suffered from post-polio residual paralysis. These conditions worsened as he grew up resulting in over 50-degree-curvature in his spine. The only way to cure this was through surgery. Therefore, at the very young age of 13 years, the patient underwent Spinal Fusion Surgery at St. Stephens Hospital, Delhi. However, the problems did not stop there; he was again admitted at the age of 17-years for Polio shoulder surgery. He had to undergo a procedure called Arthrodesis where fusing of bones is done with the use of screws. Within a year, he underwent a screw removal surgery, as some of the screws had loosened. The complications never seemed to end for the patient.

In the year 2011, he discovered that there was a failure of childhood spine fusion surgery. The only way to save his life was through another surgery, but it was too risky as his oxygen saturation was only 65 percent. If he hoped to survive another surgery, he had to somehow increase this level of oxygen saturation.

The recurring problems and complications could have broken the faith of any person. However, the patient was determined not to let the disease win. Through the entirety of this extremely difficult journey, the patient decided to fight his battles with determination, hope and a positive outlook. Through various exercise regimens and self-determination, the patient was able to increase his oxygen saturation to 85 percent which was an amazing achievement. After consulting with various spine surgeons, the patient decided to undergo surgery at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, Bangalore.

"A comprehensive analysis of his condition was done at Manipal Hospitals. The scoliosis curve measured was 105-degree while the kyphosis was nearly 165-degree and there was pseudarthrosis as revealed through CT and MRI scans. All the possible surgical and anaesthetic risks such as peri-operative death, paraplegia, ICU care, and ventilator were explained to the patient," said Dr S Vidyadhara, HOD and Consultant Spine Surgeon, Manipal Spine Care Centre at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, Bangalore.

"Posterior Spinal Scoliosis Correction and Instrumented fusion T1-L4 with costoplasty T3-8 was successfully performed. Post-surgery the patient was breathing well and within two days, he was able to walk independently. He was discharged five days post-surgery and the X-rays done revealed that the scoliosis curve was corrected to 50-degree and the kyphosis was corrected to 60-degree. A month and a half after his surgery, the patient's chest constriction has eased, and his quality of life has improved significantly," said Dr Vidyadhara while speaking on the procedure performed to treat the patient.

It is now 8 plus years since surgery and the patient is happily married since Dec 2019. He has undertaken and completed four marathons (4-km) as a champion with a disability with support of oxygen cylinder to raise awareness for scoliosis. He has to his credit to be involved as disability rights activist for discussions on oxygen supply to people with respiratory insufficiency during air and train travel.

"The unique combination of the expertise of the surgeons and the determination of the patient were key factors in making this challenging surgery a success," said Dr Vidyadhara. "The experience of the doctors, the state of the art technology and the dedicated medical staff at Manipal Hospitals ensured that the patient made a nothing short of miraculous recovery."

Since his survival, the patient has voluntarily dedicated his life to spreading awareness about Scoliosis. He founded 'SCOLIOSIS INDIA' (www.scoliosis.letsendorse.org), a first-of-its-kind interactive platform on Kyphoscoliosis. This platform comprises of members that impart counselling, motivation, guidance and mentoring to people who are suffering from the disease.

It provides detailed insights about the various surgical and non-surgical options to manage Kyphoscoliosis, the case studies of people who fight and win this extremely debilitating condition to provide hope to many people who are battling this disease. 'SCOLIOSIS INDIA' provides advanced research and treatment available for spine disorders throughout the world.

The platform has also submitted a plea at the Delhi High Court to initiate early screening for scoliosis among school-going children; this will ensure early diagnosis of the condition. Even during the recent lockdown, he has taken the initiative to run 'Unlock Curve' - India's first virtual campaign successfully. He believes in the following about Kyphoscoliosis:

My pain is mine,
My love is divine,
I can roam,
I can run,
Doesn't matter,
If I have a bent spine.

Manipal Hospitals has decided to join and help the patient in his noble cause of spreading awareness about Kyphoscoliosis.

Disclaimer: Image used is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a true or accurate depiction of the news report.