Electrically stimulating device helps two patients walk again
New Delhi: Two patients with severe spinal cord injuries can now walk again thanks to a new technique that combines electrically stimulating implants and physical therapy, which has been developed by experts at a private hospital. A 24-year-old man was cured of his ailment after the insertion of a spinal cord stimulator through an invasive surgery at a city hospital. "The installation of a spinal cord stimulator, also known as 'pacemaker of the spine' is a rarely used medical procedure due to lack of awareness and expertise in it's insertion," said the expert.
The expert said the patient Amil, who lost the use of legs nearly five years ago after an unfortunate motorcycle accident and recieved spinal cord injury at Dorsal spine D10-11. But now can take few steps. "His Epidural stimulation & rehabilitation program was started on 6th March 2018. Amil is the first of many patients who have benefited from the first wave of the treatment. He has been undergoing epidural stimulation and physiotherapy for over 9 months now and the results have finally started," said the expert.
"I came with relatively no hope as nothing had worked so far, but just after one meeting with Dr Sachin and his team, the desperation turned into hope for the first time in many years", said the patient Amil. To me it means a lot. I'm surprised at what we have been able to do. I think you have got to try the impossible to make the possible. It's a lot of fun-it feels really good," says Amil.
The doctors team led by Dr Sachin Kandhari, Neurosurgeon, who implanted the device to relieve the patient of the debilitating neuropathic pain hope that this unexpected bonus will enable many paralyzed people ultimately to regain independent movement.
A team of expert has performed several stimulation surgeries in last 9 months and this achievement is first of its kind in India. It has restored faith in various similar recent programs being conducted worldwide to restore motion in partially or completely paralysed patients by applying continuous electrical stimulation to the spinal cord, said Dr Kandhari.
In another case, a man from haryana wished to join the police had one illfated day, was accidently hit by bullet in his spine and got paralysed from the chest down. "He joined epidural stimulation program and on July 15 last year, after which he underwent for the surgery on July 17. He has shown tremendous fight and is taking first of many steps towards being completely independent once again, with the help of a specially adapted walker, expert said.
