Neck bone misalignment on a child corrected through surgery in Thanjavur hospital

A four-year-old boy got a new lease of life after he underwent a neck bone misalignment correction surgery performed by doctors of the Meenaksh Hospital, Thanjavur, three months ago.

Disclosing this to the media here on January 9, the head of the Department of Neurosurgery in the hospital, Arun Kumar, said the boy was brought to the hospital with severe upper neck bone misalignment which led to the paralysis of both arms and legs. A detailed and comprehensive evaluation revealed the child’s rare congenital disorder — spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita that affects overall physical growth and bone development.

A complex surgery, Occipito Cervical Transfacetal screw fixation, was carried out on him and he recovered from the rare skeletal disorder that occurs in only one in a million live births, Dr. Arun Kumar said.

The team of doctors comprising neurologists, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and critical care experts who performed the complex surgery with advanced neuroimaging and nerve monitoring equipment were elated on witnessing the boy recovering fast from the rare disorder that affected his normal growth, he added.