For the last 18 years Sangeeta Kumari has been living with a hump on her back and weak legs. When Sangeeta turned two yrs old, her parents started to realize that something was wrong. “She had a problem with her back and couldn’t walk properly. Her feet looked very weak and she even had difficulty in passing urine. We really thought she might have contracted a rare kind of polio. Moreover we just couldn’t understand the reason for a small child to suffer like that,” shares Sangeeta’s mother.
Over the years due to limited funds and financial support, Sangeeta and her family frequented a number of doctors. They all stated that Sangeeta’s situation is congenital and she might have to learn to live like that. Distressed over his child’s condition her father continued to consult spine specialists and orthopaedic surgeons. “We even tried alternative therapy, but first we couldn’t understand what she is going through or suffering from and secondly we just didn’t know how she could become healthy again,” shares Sangeeta’s father.
However after few recommendations, Sangeeta’s family heard of Dr. Arun Bhanot, Chief of Spine Services, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon. A spine specialist who has expertise in treating congenital spine cases and has numerous successful cases to his credit
According to Dr. Arun Bhanot,”Sangeeta was suffering from Dorsal Kyphosis and Scoliosis with Right Foot Drop. A situation that highlights abnormal fusing of the vertebrae in childhood due to which Sangeeta developed a hump on the back. The bones in her back got fused incorrectly leading to Kyphosis. Hence the body of the patient appears to be bent forward. Moreover, she was suffering from foot weakness too – an abnormal neuromuscular (nerve and muscle) disorder that affects the patient’s ability to raise their foot at the ankle. Drop foot is further characterized by an inability to point the toes toward the body (dorsiflexion) or move the foot at the ankle inward or outward. Pain, weakness, and numbness may accompany loss of function. For such patients walking becomes a challenge. It was a childhood complication that needed attention from a spine specialist.”
When Sangeeta’s parents heard that their daughter can be cured of her disability through a surgery, they couldn’t control their emotions, “Being told that our worries of the last 18 years will be resolved and our little girl will be able to live a normal life again is a dream come true. It’s like our prayers were answered by the almighty. We agreed to support Dr. Arun Bhanot and to the surgery procedures.”
According to Dr. Bhanot, Sangeeta went through two complicated surgeries – D1-D9 Posterior instrumentation internal gibbectomy and deformity correction. A procedure that aimed at correcting her spine and vertebrae positioning. Sangeeta went through some pain, but in the end came through showing exceptional grit and determination.
It has been more than 2 months since the last surgery. Today she is going through extensive rehabilitation with our physiotherapy experts and is in continuous touch with Dr. Arun Bhanot. Sangeeta is now able to walk without any support and shall soon be able to walk straight and face the world with full confidence.
Her parents share, “Before the surgery, Sangeeta was a quiet and shy girl, but post surgery it is as if a new energy has enthused into her. She has now becoming a confident woman and is evolving as we wanted her too.” You ask Sangeeta what she wants to do when she gets well, she smiles and says, “Run in the park as fast as I can.”
