Kerala: Spinal defect of 23-year-old Maldivian cured through rare surgery fulfilling his wish to sit without falling

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 8 : The spinal defect of a 23-year-old Maldivian was cured through a rare surgery at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram that has fulfilled his prolonged wish to sit straight without falling.
The 23-year-old patient from Maldives Mohamad Raishan Ahmed, son of Ahmed Muhamad and Aminath Ibrahim was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 2, a rare hereditary genetic condition in which muscles throughout the body are weakened because the nerve cells in the spinal cord and brainstem do not function properly. One in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA and is also a major cause of death in infancy.
A lot of other health issues were also bothering the patient limiting him from accessing his full potential. One of these issues was scoliosis which was progressively getting worse by the time he reached the age of eight. He had been bedridden all his life and had only hand movements and his only aim was to sit without falling. The boy's mental development was extremely good and he was actively pursuing his studies and has armed himself with a PhD.
The sole purpose of sitting without falling led him to Kimshealth, Thiruvananthapuram to meet Dr Ranjith Unnikrishnan, Consultant, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon. A Posterior Scoliosis Correction surgery was done by implanting screws and rods from his skull to the hips. The surgery which lasted for about 14 hours was highly challenging and risky taking into consideration the multiple health issues of the patient.
Post surgery the patient had to undergo physiotherapy and his lifelong wish to sit straight without falling has come true. He now has a 'strong and straight' spine. This is one of the finest successful stories and a first of its kind done in the country.
Dr Ranjith Unnikrishnan, Consultant, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon said, "Over the years he could not move his limbs. This large scoliosis was progressing over the years it did not allow him to sit straight without support. So he tried the normal non-surgical measures like belt, breeze etc. He could not hold his neck because of weak muscle control. Eventually, surgery was the option we discussed. But there were many challenges in this treatment right from his fitness. We had to treat him from his head to his hip because he could not even stand straight. After many discussions, he took the decision to go for the surgery. So in the month of August, we did the Posterior Scoliosis Correction surgery."
He further said that it was almost a 14 hourto 15 hours long surgery which he had undergone very bravely.
"We could do it very successfully and we hard plan to do the entire surgery at one stage because he could not go for more Anastasia. Post-operative he was on a ventilator for some days. He has achieved what he wanted. He is able to sit straight without support. He is already a graduate. He is planning to pursue his master's education," he added.
Mohamad Raishan Ahmed the patient said that his confidence has gone up.
"There was a little bit of pain in both the shoulders about a month after surgery. However, due to the physiotherapist and acute therapist, the pain has reduced a lot. I am able to sit without any support. I am sitting freely, on my own. I am able to maintain my balance. I am able to move my limbs freely. Thanks to the team of Dr. Ranjit. After the surgery, I am able to move my neck freely up and down," he said.
He said that currently he was working with UNICEF of Maldives, on one of their projects.
"After finishing this project I will try my best to further education, master education. I am trying performance psychology which is available in the UK. After this recovery process, I will move on with the UNICEF project and after that master's," he added.