Kauvery Hospital Helps a Paralyzed 31-year-old Youth From Malaysia to Walk Again
~ Expert panel of doctors from Kauvery Hospital treat a very rare case of symptomatic spinal tuberculosis
Chennai, 15th September 2020: Kauvery Hospital, a leading multi-specialty hospital in Chennai, successfully saved the life of a 31-year-old man who was suffering from a rare double level (neck and lower back) symptomatic spinal tuberculosis. This condition is an extremely rare medical case which is only seen among 6 individuals in a population of one million.
Mr. Damodaran, faced a minor injury, in the late months of 2019, and complained of serious back pain while working. Upon consultation with doctors at Malaysia, the patient was prescribed medications for pain relief. However, the pain continued to persist and by April 2020, Mr. Damodaran could not find the strength to carry out his day-to-day activities and required assistance to move around. After further medical tests and evaluation, the patient was diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis which was affecting multiple levels of vertebrae and required surgery. But the Covid-19 healthcare regulations in Malaysia restricted Mr. Damodaran from getting his surgery and was asked to wait for a few months. After a while, the patient became completely paralyzed and required support from his friends for his personal care and hygiene. Witnessing the deteriorating condition of the patient, his family arranged for an online consultation with Dr. G. Balamurali, Senior Consultant Spine Surgeon at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai.
During the tele-consultation, Dr. G. Balamurali looked at the scans and the patient’s condition and observed a rare vertebral bone collapse at 2 levels with severe compression of spinal cord at the junction of the neck and back.
Speaking about the case, Dr. G. Balamurali, Senior Consultant Spine Surgeon at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai said, “Mr. Damodaran was suffering from excruciating pain which made it difficult for him to make even the slightest of movement. It was important for him to get the required surgery at the earliest, to avoid permanent paralysis of his limbs.”
Considering the urgency of the situation, the hospital management went forward and liaised with Indian and Malaysian consulates to arrange an early flight travel to the nearest airport for the patient with proper seating arrangements.
A meticulously planned effort between Kauvery Hospital and the respective Consulates made it possible for him to be transported to Chennai in 6 hours after landing at Trichy airport. The following day, all precautions for COVID were taken and the patient was operated with an advanced navigation at 2 levels in the neck and lower back. After an acute post-operative care, the patient was then transferred to HAMSA Spine and Brain Rehab Centre for 3 weeks.
He is now able to carry out his daily activities without any difficulty and has returned to Malaysia without any complications.
Speaking on the success of the case, Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Executive Director, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, said, “The combined efforts taken by the respective consulates to transport the patient from Malaysia to India along with the expertise of the team of doctors at Kauvery Hospital has paved the way for successful treatment of a rare form of spinal tuberculosis. Would like to congratulate the team for their timely diagnosis and successful surgery that helped in saving the patient from permanent disability.”
About Kauvery Hospital:
Kauvery Hospitals is ‘A new Age Family Hospital’ with Multi Specialty Clinical Expertise and a pioneer in the ‘HealthCare Provider’ industry, making healthcare affordable. Kauvery is one of the few corporate hospital chains to successfully integrate operations into Tier 1 cities after launching into Tier 2 cities. It is also one of the few hospitals founded by Medical experts and managed by business professionals with a keen focus on delivering personalized and specialized health care with warmth.
Kauvery Hospitals is currently a 1200 bed hospital group with presence in Chennai, Trichy, Hosur, Salem & Karaikudi in addition to planned entry in new markets.
Apart from having diverse Multispecialty tertiary care expertise, Kauvery Hospitals house one of three ‘Cardiac Centers of Excellence in South India’ and the only one in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy).
In today’s times where the healthcare industry is more and more commoditized, Kauvery Hospitals stands tall with its promise of making medical expertise and technology truly affordable with empathy and care at every stage of a person’s healthcare needs.
