Patients suffering from Idiopathic Scoliosis are set to benefit from specialised treatment from a renowned surgeon from Pakistan Polytechnic University.
Professor Alaaeldin Azim Ahmad has already begun a series of surgeries at Kenyatta National Hospital on patients screened and found to be suffering from deformities.
Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to develop an abnormal curve and is most often diagnosed in adolescents.
Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of scoliosis with experts saying it tends to run in families and affects girls eight times as often as it affects boys.
It is referred to as ‘Idiopathic’ because there is no definite cause.
According to a statement from KNH, six surgeries have been lined up to be performed in the course of the exercise that runs till April 21.
“Professor Ahmad is in the country to also advance the skills of spinal cord surgeons at KNH and the University of Nairobi,” KNH said in the statement.
The medic is being assisted by the University of Nairobi, Senior Spinal Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr George Museve and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Benjamin Ndeleva.
“Medics indicate that the disease can easily be managed when patients are at an adolescent stage, with chances of recurring being minimal,” the statement reads.
Online health site Mayo Clinic notes that while scoliosis can occur in people with conditions such as cerebral palsy, the cause of most childhood scoliosis is unknown.
It says that most cases of scoliosis are mild, but some curves worsen as children grow, further warning that severe scoliosis can be disabling.
Experts warn that a severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly.
Some of the signs and symptoms of the condition include uneven shoulders, uneven waist, one hip being higher than the other or one side of the rib cage jutting forward.
