Doc of Little Clinic saves two from paralysis

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 18 : A doctor at Little Clinic successfully saved two patients from paralysis by removing tumours from the interior and side of their spinal cords.
Addressing the media at the hospital campus at Nagaram today, Little Clinic General Manager Srinivas Thounaojam said the two patients who underwent the complex spinal surgeries were a 29-year-old woman from Namlee village in Kamjong district and a 37-year-old man from Heirok in Thoubal district.
He said the tumour near the woman's spinal cord was detected last year during an outpatient consultation, and doctors had advised her to undergo surgery.
However, she declined the procedure at the time due to personal reasons, he said.
He said the woman later returned to the hospital after developing difficulty in moving both her arms and legs.
She subsequently underwent surgery at Little Clinic, where doctors successfully removed the tumour and saved her from paralysis, he said.
He said the tumour in the male patient's spinal cord was detected while he was undergoing treatment in New Delhi.
He said the patient chose to undergo the surgery at Little Clinic as the cost of treatment in New Delhi was significantly higher.
According to him, the patient spent only about one-third of the amount quoted by the hospital outside Manipur for the surgery by opting to undergo the procedure at Little Clinic.
Brain and Spinal Surgeon Dr Chandrakumar said both surgeries were highly complex.
He said the female patient was bedridden and was unable to sit even in a wheelchair.
The tumour had developed at the junction of the brain and spinal cord, leaving her unable to move her arms and legs, he said.
Dr Chandrakumar said the woman underwent surgery on May 16 and has recovered well.
She is now safe and is able to visit the hospital on her own for follow-up check-ups, he added.
Speaking about the surgery performed on the male patient on May 14, Dr Chandrakumar said the tumour was developed inside his spinal cord.
He said the tumour was removed through a complex surgical procedure in which four vertebral bones were opened and the spinal cord carefully moved aside.
The doctor said manipulating the spinal cord during surgery is a highly complex procedure because of the risks involved.
He added that such surgeries could be performed more safely if an intra-operative neuro-monitoring facility is available in Manipur.