Spine just moved chest operation

Adolescent from Saudi Arabia successfully operated in Lower Saxony: The spine was just moved and the surgery performed through the chest

08/11/2013

In young patients, curvatures of the spine, so-called scolioses, are usually not painful at a young age because the problems only appear at an advanced age. A teenager from Saudi Arabia, in whom the disease was particularly pronounced, has now been successfully operated on in a specialist clinic in Lower Saxony.

Lateral bending of the spine
The human spine looks like a straight, vertical line in a healthy person on the x-ray. However, she looks like a question mark to the 16-year-old Fahad Mulhem from Saudi Arabia. Scoliosis is called such a curvature, or side bending of the spine. A lateral bending of the spine may be congenital or often occur during adolescence or childhood. It is usually difficult to pinpoint the cause of non-congenital scoliosis, which may be primarily or secondary to back pain, flank pain or low back pain. The causative factors are static incorrect loads, metabolic disorders, hereditary factors, organic, muscular, connective tissue or neurological diseases or accidents.

Lower Saxony specialists
The 16-year-old boy from the Saudi Arabian city of Khobar was particularly affected. Therefore, his spine was recently Karsten Ritter-Lang and his team from the Orthopedic Specialist Clinic Stenum in Ganderkesee in Lower Saxony in a three-hour operation. „Although the disease was defined in the genetic code, it did not break out until the age of twelve, "said Dr. Jan Spiller, one of the two surgeons, about two years ago the doctors first saw the difference on X-ray images Curvature is about 60 degrees, meanwhile it is 80 degrees, and rising.

Operation through the thorax
Spiller explained that while scoliosis did not cause acute pain, surgery meant avoiding long-term damage. Thus, not only would the thorax be deformed by the curvature of the spine, but also the lungs could not unfold properly and the heart would be impaired. Probably are respiratory problems and lung defects. The operation is also almost impossible for adults. The surgery was especially costly because the doctors approached the spine from the front through the chest and did not operate from the back.

Clear ribs out of the way
The method first required the ribs to be removed with a spreader to gain free access to the spine. In addition, the doctors have a lung controlled collapse. The physicians had removed a total of six discs in the actual surgery, so that the vertebral bodies could be loosened in this way and to align the spine straight again. Subsequently, the vertebrae are stabilized in their correct position and fixed with seven screws. „The principle is quite simple: In each vertebra comes a screw, whereby you must be careful not to hurt the spinal cord. "Because the screws sit in the already largely immovable thoracic spine, the patient will have no movement restrictions in the future to fear.

Wrong sitting and corsets
According to spine specialist Ritter-Lang, it is still largely unclear how scoliosis develops. However, it can be ruled out that it has something to do with wrong sitting, as was previously assumed. And the problem can not be solved by wearing corsets, as was often tried until about 20 years ago. In the past, patients sometimes had to stay in the hospital for months after surgery, today it is rarely more than ten days. It usually takes about two to three days for the lungs to recover and the patient to be transferred from the ICU to a normal ward.

Standard in German specialist clinics
The family from Saudi Arabia became aware of the orthopedic specialist clinic in Stenum. Hans-Georg Zechel had a long and friendly cooperation with the hospital in Khobar. Even Fahad's older brother had been operated there seven years ago for scoliosis. According to the parents, the now 22-year-old enjoys today's best health. Today an intervention on a curved spine from the front through the chest standard in German specialist clinics. The Medical Director in Stenum, dr. Ritter-Lang, but emphasizes: „But you have to master the process.“ And further: „We specialize here.“ (Ad)