Chennai: The Voluntary Health Services (VHS) has successfully treated a 15-year-old girl who was suffering from Scoliosis, a curvature in spine, for the last two years.
Scoliosis can develop in children at any age. If not treated early, the condition can lead to complications like lung disease, poor quality of life, difficulty in walking, and severe back pain on exertion.
In India, five million children suffer from deformity in the spine and out of this more than 60 per cent leave untreated because of lack of awareness and poor socio-economic status.
Talking to reporters here, Dr Vignesh Pushparaj, consultant orthopaedic and spine surgeon, VHS, Chennai said “The patient developed a hunchback couple of years ago and eventually the condition worsened to an extent where she was unable sleep flat, walk freely and had breathing issues as well.”
Upon several consultations, a surgery was not provided fearing the probability of lower limb paralysis.
“The patient then reached out to our hospital, and upon examination we decided to go ahead with the surgery and we instilled confidence in her parents, who were worried if she will ever be able to walk again,” he said.