MUSCAT: A specialised medical team at Khoula Hospital succeeded in performing the first scoliosis operation of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman.
The 4-hour surgery was aimed at correcting and stabilising the spine of an Omani girl suffering from scoliosis. It involved the use of extendable magnetic rods along the length of the spine.
Dr Sultan Saif al Kalbani, Head of the Spine Unit at Khoula Hospital (consultant orthopaedic and spine surgeon, and head of the operating medical team), told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the operation constituted a step forward in the treatment of scoliosis in children.
The surgery assumes significance as a means of preventing the aggravation of scoliosis and its impact on vital organs like the lungs, said Al Kalbani, noting that the treatment also supports the growth of the spine and avoids repeated operations.
Al Kalbani pointed out that all patients with a similar type of scoliosis were previously going for treatment abroad because this type of complicated operation was not available in the Sultanate of Oman.
Dr Rashid Mohammed al Alawi, Director General of Khoula Hospital, said, “conducting this advanced type of treatment in the Sultanate of Oman reflects the success of investment in medical infrastructure, thanks to the presence of qualified medical personnel in the hospital and their ability to perform such complex surgical operations”.
He affirmed that this success of the operation constitutes a starting point for making more achievements in the future and providing necessary support and health care to patients and society at large. - ONA
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