In an unprecedented medical case within the capital of Kerala, an elderly woman from the Maldives found relief after a team of doctors in Thiruvananthapuram employed an innovative surgical technique to treat her osteoporotic spine fractures. The 78-year-old patient was subjected to a procedure known as ‘vertebral body stenting system,’ a less invasive alternative to traditional open surgery that is inspired by cardiac stenting methods.
The medical team, led by Dr. Ranjith Unnikrishnan, a Consultant Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon at KIMSHEALTH, Trivandrum, chose this approach due to the patient’s advanced age, existing comorbidities, and the fragile condition of her bones. With precision, a small hole was carefully drilled into the vertebral body under image guidance to accommodate the stent.
Highlighting the benefits of this approach, Dr. Unnikrishnan remarked that this particular patient had been suffering significant, unresolved pain as a result of the condition. A thorough evaluation at KIMSHEALTH revealed that the cause of the pain, previously misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal issues during her treatment in the Maldives and abroad, was in fact a fractured L1 vertebra coupled with osteoporosis.
Describing the procedure, Unnikrishnan explained that a specially designed vertebral body stent was introduced into the fractured vertebra through an opening in the rear, the pedicle.
Source: Deccan Herald