Surgeons do backsplit to save Tanzanian lady

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsA team of surgeons had to literally split a Tanzanian woman's backbone in half, to get at a long tumour that was intertwined with her spinal cord. When 36-year-old Rehana* was referred to Apollo Hospital last month, she did not know how precarious her situation was. "She knew that there was a lump in her back that showed up on the scans, but she had no idea how serious it was," related Dr JKBC Parthiban, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon. After all, her symptoms weren't all that out of the ordinary. Her right hand was losing sensation occasionally and she had a few problems with walking normally — all of these were attributed to the fact that she was 'plus-sized'. Unfortunately for her, doctors realised later that the 'lump' was actually a 8-cm long tumour that extended from her 2nd to 6th cervical spine.Though in theory the surgery is fairly simple in approach, the execution was what made the neurospinal surgeons toil for six hours. "We had to cut through her vertebral column and remove those particular discs before getting to her spine," he described. Given the patient's size, it was quite a task for them to cut through the bone without damaging its structure. Once they got through that layer, they had an even more dangerous task — to cut into her spine and remove the tumour without damaging her motor and sensory nerves, "We cut into her spinal cord vertically but it took a while because any damage to the minute nerves could have affected her ability to move a leg or any other part," he added.The surgeons used a micro-surgical technique and once they sighted the tumour, they gradually cut away at it, before removing it. Thankfully, a biopsy revealed that the mass was a non-cancerous one and so there would be no fall-outs later. After the spine was sutured, surgeons began to piece her 'back' together again, slowly and surely. “Tumours that arise in the cervical region of the spinal cord are rare and pose a great challenge to neurosurgeons. The tumour expands the spinal cord and produces sensory and motor neurological deficits like weakness of limbs and paralysis. Spinal cord tumours are neither totally removable nor are they greatly amenable for radiotherapy,” he added.Rehana with her husband, gradually began to walk again. Though the surgery was performed on July 29, the woman has already left for home to be with her children.(name changed to protect privacy)first published:January 01, 1970, 05:30 ISTlast updated:January 01, 1970, 05:30 IST
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A team of surgeons had to literally split a Tanzanian woman's backbone in half, to get at a long tumour that was intertwined with her spinal cord. When 36-year-old Rehana* was referred to Apollo Hospital last month, she did not know how precarious her situation was. "She knew that there was a lump in her back that showed up on the scans, but she had no idea how serious it was," related Dr JKBC Parthiban, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon. After all, her symptoms weren't all that out of the ordinary. Her right hand was losing sensation occasionally and she had a few problems with walking normally — all of these were attributed to the fact that she was 'plus-sized'. Unfortunately for her, doctors realised later that the 'lump' was actually a 8-cm long tumour that extended from her 2nd to 6th cervical spine.

Though in theory the surgery is fairly simple in approach, the execution was what made the neurospinal surgeons toil for six hours. "We had to cut through her vertebral column and remove those particular discs before getting to her spine," he described. Given the patient's size, it was quite a task for them to cut through the bone without damaging its structure. Once they got through that layer, they had an even more dangerous task — to cut into her spine and remove the tumour without damaging her motor and sensory nerves, "We cut into her spinal cord vertically but it took a while because any damage to the minute nerves could have affected her ability to move a leg or any other part," he added.

The surgeons used a micro-surgical technique and once they sighted the tumour, they gradually cut away at it, before removing it. Thankfully, a biopsy revealed that the mass was a non-cancerous one and so there would be no fall-outs later. After the spine was sutured, surgeons began to piece her 'back' together again, slowly and surely. “Tumours that arise in the cervical region of the spinal cord are rare and pose a great challenge to neurosurgeons. The tumour expands the spinal cord and produces sensory and motor neurological deficits like weakness of limbs and paralysis. Spinal cord tumours are neither totally removable nor are they greatly amenable for radiotherapy,” he added.

Rehana with her husband, gradually began to walk again. Though the surgery was performed on July 29, the woman has already left for home to be with her children.

(name changed to protect privacy)