Hurting your spine is one of the worst accidents one could ever get because it could paralyse you if proper correction is not done.
Patients requiring orthopaedic and spinal surgeries in Kenya are sometimes forced to wait for about six months before undergoing surgery. Those who can afford to, fly out for the best treatment possible.
Wards in public hospital are filled with patients on treatment options such as traction, waiting for the body’s healing process unsure of the outcome. Such therapies keep one bedridden for an indefinite number of weeks, losing out on their regular income-generating activities.
One is also at high risk of developing hospital-acquired infections, bed-sores and other life-threatening conditions like deep vein thrombosis (clot formation) that can cause sudden death. Worse, one may come out of hospital paralysed, confined to a wheelchair and perpetually dependent on caregivers, something that strains families both emotionally and financially.
Rehabilitation after spinal injuries is not a walk in the park either. Relearning motor skills like walking or holding anything is a tough process. Even after the best physiotherapy and occupational therapy, one can never fully return to their former capabilities.
For spinal surgeries, equipment that allows doctors a real-time view of the spine would be ideal. This is because the operating area is often too small to manouvre without risking more damage to the neighbouring healthy tissues.
Kenya is yet to acquire a quickand efficient medical equipment, particularly in the public sector, that will see patients smiling their way back home.
Medics rely on X-ray beams to know where the correction needs to be done on a spine. This provides one or two-dimensional images; but with new technology, there is a better and efficient way for doctors to see the spine and identify where a fracture is.
Flawless mechanics
One such medical equipment is called an O-Arm. It is a portable imaging device that forms a ring around the patient’s body and with the use of 360 High definition X-rays, brings out a 3-dimensional image of the spine. It provides real time feed that enables doctors in the operating room to identify where the vertebrae that requires correction is or any other problem related to the spine.
It allows the surgeon to treat even the most complex deformed spine. Images are intensified, which means that what was captured on the X-ray is converted into visible light at higher intensity allowing the doctors to see the images as they carry out the surgery.
Images appear on a screen, which allows the surgeon to accurately, and confidently direct the instruments to the area. This prevents hitting the wrong bones or nerves that might could result into paralysis. The equipment can be adjusted to provide 360-degree images of different anatomical shapes.
In comparison to age-old X-rays and MRIs, O-Arm helps in preservation of healthy tissues, shorter surgery time and quicker recovery. It also provides multiple surgical table options, inter -room mobility for concurrent cases and on demand imaging.
It provides both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) images. For 2D it focuses on real-time anatomical updates, and verification while for 3D gives surgeons a wider view of the patient’s anatomy.
Since its launch in 2006, it has revolutionised intra-operative imaging with many patients across the world preferring it to other therapies.
After 23 hours of surgery, one can go home. Instead of waiting for weeks and months for a damaged spine to heal, one is certain of the correction and can in no time get to the next stage of care which could be rehabilitation through physiotherapy.
A costly initial capital investment, Kenya has only one such equipment in one of the top private health facilities. The public sector is yet to catch up.