Our Stories

A Life Changing Surgery

Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital’s newly set-up Spine Centre recently performed a successful correction surgery for a child suffering from severe scoliosis.

Using a new technology called the “remotely-controlled growing rod”, which can be extended progressively as the patient grows, the child is spared from restricted spine growth caused by traditional spinal surgeries.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, which could affect the child’s lung functions and potentially become a life-threatening condition as he grows up. In traditional spinal surgeries, the curved spine is fixed by straightening it with surgical nails. However, this method causes spine stiffness and restricts spine growth.

Hong Kong was the first country in the world to adopt this new spinal correction technique using a “remotely-controlled growing rod”. Today, the Spine Centre team is highly skilled and experienced in implementing this technique and delivering excellent outcomes for patients.

On top of the professional care given to the child throughout the entire process of his spinal correction surgery, the Paediatrics and Orthopaedics nurses also provided emotional support to ease the child’s discomfort during the treatment. The child was all smiles as he was discharged from the hospital in a much better condition.

Comprehensive and accurate assessments before surgery and subsequent rehabilitation are critical parts of the treatment process, so the entire team plays an important role all the way from pre-surgery to post-surgery.
- Dr Kenneth Cheung, Director of Spine Centre, Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital