GUWAHATI, Feb 11 � Dr NK Das, consultant neurosurgeon, at a press conference at the GNRC yesterday, made a presentation of the �One-stitch surgery� that he had performed recently, making it the first such surgery done in the North-east.
A 30-year-old patient, Raju Baglary, from Lahorighat, Morigaon district, had approached Dr Das with severe neck pain and difficulty in getting up from bed as well as inability to walk following a road accident. A CT scan revealed a fracture on the second cervical vertebrae. The first and second cervical vertebrae are important bones responsible for neck movement and holding the head in an erect position. �
Dr Das said that while open surgery for spine was common, minimal invasive surgery (one-stitch surgery) � a new invention � for cervical and lumbar spine and had revolutionized the management of a variety of spinal disorders. �One-stitch surgery for first and second cervical vertebrae is a technically difficult procedure for a neurosurgeon. Many vital structures are present in this region, and safety margin operation is very narrow. But the surgical results are excellent and a patient can sit after 24 hours of surgery and can be discharged within 48 hours,� Dr Das said, adding that the technique also reduces total surgical cost with excellent surgical result.�
Dr Das said that following the surgery, the patient improved dramatically, got relief from his neck pain, was able to stand and walk after 48 hours of the surgery and released from the hospital. �In open surgery, a patient is required to be hospitalized for 7-10 days to recover completely, but with this technique the patient may go home after 48 hours of surgery,� he added.
