Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: A specialised medical team at Khoula Hospital succeeded in performing the first operation of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman, which was to stabilize and correct the spine of an Omani girl suffering from scoliosis using extendable magnetic rods along the length of the spine. The operation took 4 hours.
Dr. Sultan bin Saif bin Ali Al Kalbani, head of the spine unit at Khoula Hospital, consultant orthopedic and spine surgeon, and head of the medical team, explained that the rods are extended clinically every 3 months in the clinic via a remote control device.

Al Kalbani said that this type of treatment is a qualitative leap in the treatment of scoliosis in children, as it prevents its worsening and its impact on vital organs such as the lungs. It also preserves the growth of the spine and spares the patient repeated operations.
Al Kalbani stated that all patients with this same type of scoliosis were previously receiving treatment abroad because this type of operation was not available in the Sultanate of Oman, explaining that performing this type of operation is complicated.
Al Kalbani pointed out that the medical team also succeeded in performing the first operation of its kind in Khawla Hospital by removing cartilage from the nerve canal using the laparoscopic technique without connecting the vertebrae, explaining that removing this type of cartilage requires connecting and stabilizing the vertebrae using traditional methods.
The head of the spine unit at Khoula Hospital, pointed out that the introduction of arthroscopic surgeries for the spine in the day unit at Khoula Hospital is a qualitative leap that contributes to the speedy recovery of patients, their return to their normal lives, and the reduction of waiting lists.
The head of the spine unit at Khoula Hospital touched on the importance of raising awareness of scoliosis to know its symptoms and how to detect it early, indicating that scoliosis is a lateral tilt of the spine and is often diagnosed during adolescence.
Al Kalbani explained that this disease has genetic and unknown causes, and that the affected cases may be simple, and some of them may get worse as the child grows, leading to disability, as bending leads to a decrease in the space inside the chest, which affects the work of the lungs.
He explained that the most prominent symptoms of scoliosis are unequal shoulders, one shoulder blade protruding more than the other, unequal waist, one hip being higher than the other, one side of the rib cage protruding, and one side of the back protruding when leaning forward.
Dr. Rashid bin Mohammed Al Alawi, Director General of the General Directorate of Khoula Hospital, confirmed that conducting this advanced type of treatment within the Sultanate of Oman instead of sending patients for treatment abroad reflects the successful and continuous investment in the medical infrastructure with the presence of qualified medical personnel in Khoula Hospital and its ability to perform such complex surgical operations.
Al Alawi pointed out that this success represents a starting point for achieving more achievements in the future and providing the necessary and advanced health care to patients that meets the needs of society.
