Novel spinal surgery uses alloy to correct deformity

Chennai, Aug 17 (UNI) Doctors here successfully performed a spinal surgery using implants made from Nitinol-shape memory alloy on a six-year-old girl in what is claimed to be a first of its sorts in India.

''The device is in the shape of a staple (clamp). It is taken from ice cold environment and fixed on to the deformed spine which will regain its shape built into its memory at body temperture thereby correcting the spinal deformity,'' Apollo Hospital Consultant Spine Surgeon Sajan Hegde, who performed the surgery, told newspersons here today.

The girl, Jayashree, is the first patient in India to be treated for spinal deformity with this novel procedure, he claims.

Explaining about the case, Dr Hedge said ''we decided to perform this surgery (on Jayashree) because the curvature in the spine was rapidly progressive and any delay in peforming the procedure would have led the child to develop life-threatening severe cardio-respiratory problems.

''The operation took nearly three hours with minimum loss of blood,'' he said.

Previously surgeons used braces (to correct the deformity) which were worn by the children for more than 18 hours a day for years till the child reached maturity. These braces more often than not failed to correct the problem.

''Once complete bone growth is achieved, scoliosis is corrected using fusion technique,'' he said.

Dr Hegde said the child was normal and soon would be able to pursue all activities like other children of her age.

UNI