Faridabad: A mother and son, who sustained severe spinal and neck injuries in a tragic car accident, were treated successfully by doctors at Sarvodaya Hospital in Faridabad. The duo has regained the ability to walk just a few days after their surgeries, avoiding permanent paralysis.
Rukmani Devi, 55, and her son Neeraj, 21, residents of Faridabad, were driving in Noida when their car was struck by a dumper truck. The accident left the car severely damaged while the two of them survived with major spine and neck injuries.
They were brought to Sarvodaya Hospital within two hours of the accident. Upon arrival, both patients were in critical condition. Neeraj was experiencing severe chest and back pain and was diagnosed with blood clots in the lungs and a fractured D10 vertebra that was compressing his spinal cord. He required immediate surgery to prevent permanent paralysis in both legs.
Rukmani had weakness in her right arm and severe neck pain. She was diagnosed with a fracture and dislocation of the cervical spine. If not treated immediately, she would have suffered permanent paralysis in her arms and legs and also a risk of loss of breath and a drop in blood pressure.
Dr Kamal Verma, Director of Neurosurgery at Sarvodaya Hospital, performed surgery on Neeraj which involved exposing the spine and repairing multiple fractures.
“The young man’s surgery involved exposing the spine with multiple fractures. The broken vertebra was fixed, and the spinal cord decompressed. Due to multiple fractures in the spine, there was a lot of blood loss during surgery. We used neuro-navigation guidance so that the implants could be positioned accurately and safely without risk of injury to the spinal cord. The patient did well after surgery and he was made to walk just a day later. He will go on to lead a normal life after wearing a back support orthosis for a month,” said Dr Varma.
Dr Gaurav Kesri, Consultant of Neurosurgery at Sarvodaya Hospital, performed surgery on Rukmani which involved removing the spinal disc at the C6-7 level, bringing the bones together, and fixing them.
“The mother’s surgery involved removing the spinal disc at the C6-7 level. The bones were brought together and pressure over the spinal cord removed. The bones were then fixed using a titanium cage and plate/screws. The patient did well after surgery and was able to walk in less than 12 hours postoperatively. She is expected to heal completely and live a normal life,” said Dr Kesri.
Rukmani made a speedy recovery and was able to walk within 12 hours of her surgery. She is expected to make a full recovery and lead a normal life.
The timely arrival of the patients at the hospital, within two hours of the accident, was crucial to the success of their treatments. Upon being discharged from the hospital less than a week after the accident, the patients were amazed at their recovery. Rukmani thanked the doctors at Sarvodaya Hospital for giving them a new lease on life.