Iraqi citizen undergoes rare spine surgery at Kovai hospital
A source from the hospital told DC that the patient was suffering from the disease for the last one decade.
COIMBATORE: A victim of ‘hydatid’ disease of the spine, a rare form of parasitic infection, 40-year-old Amer Ibrahim Muthar from Iraq, successfully underwent a challenging spine surgery at Rex Ortho Hospital here.
A source from the hospital told DC that the patient was suffering from the disease for the last one decade. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, he was not cured and was referred to Rex Ortho Hospital.
“The disease was located in the dorsal spine, close to the heart and major blood vessels. It eroded the spine bone and engulfed the spinal cord and hence the patient developed weakness in both lower limbs with inability to walk in the last six months. Due to high risk of surgical complications, many hospitals deferred surgery” the source explained.
The patient feared sudden collapse or rupture of the 'worm cyst' that could have thrown toxins into the body. Operating upon the spine that was operated upon earlier was technically demanding for the doctors.
At the Kovai hospital, the team of doctors prescribed medication to shrink the swelling and the patient was put on de-worming medication prior to surgery.
A six-hour long marathon surgery was performed on the patient, successfully clearing the spinal cord. Dr C. Rex says, “This is the fourth reported case in the world with gross spine involvement. The patient was delighted to start walking a few steps with the help of a walker on the fourth post-operative day with return of senses in both lower limbs.”