HP woman gets new lease of life; Operated successfully for gross spinal injury

Chandigarh, December 3, 2018: 40-yr female from Paonta Sahib in HP, suffering from gross spinal cord compression, got a new lease of life after she was operated successfully by Dr.Gauri Joshi, senior neurosurgeon at Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula recently.

Sameena (name changed) was brought to Alchemist with inability to move limbs. She had a history of fall, four months ago. She had dislocation of C6-C7 vertebrae for which she was managed locally with bed rest. Three months later, as she started her routine work, she developed weakness of all four limbs. She could not hold things and became bed ridden due to inability to walk.

Giving information about surgery, Dr Gauri said that when the patient came, she had minimal movements in the lower limbs and no grip in both the hands. She had jerky movements of limbs, suggesting gross spinal cord compression. Her cervical spine x-rays, CT scan and MRI showed C6 and C7 dislocation. The C7 vertebra had totally entered the spinal canal. MRI of the cervical spine showed gross compression of the cord at that level, informed Dr Gauri.

She required surgery to correct the deformity. But the problem was that the injury was four months old and it was unlikely for the vertebra to reposition easily, she explained.

Dr Joshi further told that Sameena was operated first from posterior aspect and later from anterior aspect, both in the same sitting. From the posterior aspect, the vertebrae were totally stuck and as the injury was old, repositioning was partially tried. Later she was operated from the front and repositioning could be achieved quite successfully. C7 vertebra was drilled out and the compressed spinal cord was freed followed by fixation.

Post operatively the patient improved significantly. The spinal column was in alignment. She returned to her normal routine in a happy phase, said Dr Gauri.

Meanwhile cervical spine injury is one of the most dangerous injuries to happen. If it is ignored, it may cause spinal cord compression. This may cause limbs paralysis and breathing difficulty. Managing a cervical spine injury is an emergency and requires an excellent set up and proficiency. The spine needs to be made stable, first by positioning and later by fixation.