Ahmedabad: Eight children with scoliosis, an uncommon condition characterized by the lateral curvature of the spine, were operated upon at GCS Hospital in Ahmedabad in collaboration with a team of surgeons from the USA.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that can lead to significant pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, scoliosis can start out mild and worsen over time. Due to the deformity, the patient suffers from several physical limitations. As spinal curvature becomes more severe, a teen with scoliosis may experience trouble breathing, back pain, and nerve or spine damage if the curve is left untreated. In addition to these physical problems, an invisible but very powerful symptom is scoliosis’ effect on a teen’s self-esteem.
GCS Hospital organized a special Diagnosis & Consultation Camp for Scoliosis during 23-25 January. Eight children screened during this camp were operated on for scoliosis correction surgery in association with a team of doctors from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, USA.
A team of doctors from the Cincinnati Center, USA served at GCS Hospital for a week(2–9 February) to perform the scoliosis correction surgery, which helps improve the curvature of the spine and stops further damage. It is a unique and complex surgery that takes around 5–10 operating hours, depending on the patient’s condition and complexity.
The team from the US included spine surgeons Dr. Viral Jain, Dr. Peter Stum, Dr. Daniel Bachman, Dr. Marcus Shalby, and Dr. Ali Asma, anesthesiologists Dr. Vidya Chidambaran and Dr. Kim Beutel, implant specialist Tim Reuters, and neuromonitoring experts Megan Kloc and Lindsy Schapien, who were part of these life-changing surgeries without charging a single rupee.
“GCS Hospital is committed to providing high-quality medical care at affordable rates to patients. The scoliosis correction surgery camp is testimony to our commitment. We are also thankful to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for their support of the noble cause.” said Dr. Jyotish Patel (Head of Dept. – Orthopedics at GCS Hospital).
Scoliosis correction surgeries usually cost around Rs. 5 lacs, however, as part of GCS Hospital’s commitment to serving society, these surgeries were done at highly nominal rates. These needy patients could avail of these surgeries for just a few thousand rupees. GCS Hospital has been organizing Scoliosis correction camps in association with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for six years and has treated more than 40 children suffering from scoliosis so far.
