A rare spinal surgery gives 10-year-old a new lease to life

In a freak accident, on September 3 last year, the spine of the boy Premchand, from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, snapped into two when the moving blades of a tractor’s harrow went over his back while he was playing in the field.

Premchand was admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Center the following day after being turned away from five hospitals.

Unusual case
For the surgeons, it was a rare and very challenging case because the injury was rare, known as penetrating traumatic lumbar spine spondyloptosis.

D B Choudhary, senior consultant orthopedic surgeon at AIIMS, said: "The child was in a state of shock due to blood loss and had two deep wounds on the back with active leak of cerebrospinal fluid and rib fracture.

"His entire spine was fragmented in two parts. Initially he was given blood and treated with other medicines to prevent meningitis," he added.

At AIIMS a team of doctors performed the rare, tedious and expensive surgery the cost of which was borne by the hospital.

"An eight-hour long surgery was conducted on him by a team of neurosurgeons, orthopedician and anesthetist. His spine was brought back to its original position and joined with the help of screws and rods. He has recovered 70 percent - 80percent and we hope he will be all well soon," said Dr M C Mishra, head of the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

The doctors disclosed that, had the cut been a little higher it could have been fatal. Dr Deepak Gupta, one of the doctors on the team stated, "He was initially resuscitated with the help of fluids and blood and given high dose of antibiotics to prevent meningitis."

Surgery successful
The operation was successful and the child was heading towards recovery. He started responding and sensations returned to his limbs a month after his surgery.

The operation had to be followed by months of physiotherapy. Though he is still using a walker, Premchand walks the treadmill for nearly 45 minutes daily and can also do push-ups.

Claiming the case as a medical feat Mishra said, "I have done extensive research and can conclude that it is a first-of-its-kind case in medical history. Such a case with sharp penetrating injury to the spine in a child causing complete breakage of the lumbar spine in two parts presenting with complete loss of power and sensations is extremely unusual and has not been reported in literature either."