An 82-year-old retired army officer from Pune, who was bedridden for a year due to severe pain in his back, was given a new lease of life by the doctors at a hospital in Thane.
The man who was honoured by the President of India for serving in 1962 and 1971 wars, had been in excruciating pain till then but found relief after the spine surgery.
The Punekar`s neck and back pain increased as the days passed thereby affecting his normal life. He was brought to KIMS Hospitals on a wheelchair suffering with extreme pain.
After thorough examination, Dr Kapil Khandelwal, who is the consultant for Neuro Surgery at the hospital, diagnosed him with lumbar canal stenosis. It is a condition where the lower spine space decreases resulting in spinal cord and nerve compression. He had unstable spinal bones which led to constant nerve supply pressure making movement uncomfortable and practically impossible.
The patient had earlier approached many doctors before arriving at the Thane hospital. However, considering his age and an existing cardiac condition, most of them did not want to operate. Although he was not diabetic, his overall health profile made for a high-risk surgery. In spite of the hurdles, the team performed a detailed evaluation and went ahead with the surgery. The patient had a complex spine operation in the form of an L3/L4 discectomy with an L4/L5 Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF).
The surgery was successful and the patient began recovering immediately. He could stand up and walk with assistance the day after. He spent just five days in the hospital after surgery. Though his stitches are yet to be removed, he remains steady on the road to recovery and will regain his strength.
Due to the nature of the case, the operation was undertaken by a traditional open surgical method instead of the minimally invasive technology available with the doctors. The surgery was performed by a team of doctors led by Dr Khandelwal, Dr. Amogh Zavar, who is a consultant spine surgeon, and supported by Dr Dipesh Pimple, consultant neurologist, and the anesthesia team.
The team had to take all precautions considering the patient`s heart condition and age while performing the procedure.
Dr Khandelwal explained, “In older patients, especially those with multiple comorbidities, the decision to operate must be taken with significant caution. Every case needs to be assessed independently. With detailed preoperative evaluation, intra-operative planning and appropriate post-operative care, we can safely operate in high-risk conditions. This case demonstrates the outcome that can be realised when clinical planning, collaboration, and teamwork come together. It highlights that quality of life should be at the forefront of patient care. Even if the patient is aged, we can achieve a good outcome when we have a combine and planned approach.”
