18 September 2010
Chennai, India
Twenty–seven–year–old Karpagam had two reasons to cheer this Thursday. Hours after she underwent an emergency caesarean delivery at the government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital she was rushed to the Government General Hospital for a spine surgery, where doctors successfully managed to reconstruct her collapsed spine.
"She came to the hospital ten days ago with complaints of lack of sensation in her limbs, loss of bladder control and paralysis. Scans showed that just above her lower hip two vertebrae had collapsed due to tuberculosis. We had planned a twin surgery on Friday, but she developed labour pains on Thursday and had to under an emergency c–section," said Dr Arun Kumar, neurosurgeon, Government General Hospital.
Karpagam’s husband Abraham Lincoln, barely had time to celebrate the birth of his daughter before he was signing papers for an immediate spine surgery on his wife.
On Thursday, after Karpagam delivered a 2.2 kg girl, she was brought to the GH. The neurosurgery team borrowed special equipment like C–arm for surgical assistance from Philips. The doctors then went about reconstructing the collapsed vertebrae.
"The patient has got back bladder control. She is also able to move her legs. She has tuberculosis of the spine and has to undergo treatment for it. She will be given medicines under the DOTS programme and she will be able to breast feed her baby. We will be monitoring the health of both mother and baby," Dr Arun Kumar said.
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