All's well that ends well

Vanniyela Aththo brought from Dambana:

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

Distance was no barrier for twenty five year old M. Premasiri, grandson of Uruwarige and son of Moranawarige Tisa of the Vanniyela Aththo or indigenous community of Dambana.

"He was brought down to the National Hospital, Sri Lanka six days ago by ambulance from the Polonnaruwa Base Hospital for emergency surgery with a tumour in the spine, a rare condition which led to a meticulously handled surgery lasting twelve hours; one of the most complicated and most costly operations performed in the recent past, approximately costing 15-20 million rupees had it been done in a private hospital," explained Dr. Vasantha Perera, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, National Hospital, Sri Lanka.

"The patient has improved significantly and is now receiving treatment and physiotherapy in Ward No. 76 and is expected to be discharged in six weeks," he said. As distance was no barrier for the Vanniyela Aththo and so was education for the youngster and father of one child from Dambana.

He had actually been educated at Henanigala South in Dehiattakandiya and spoke Sinhala fluently.

Times and images are fast changing. Premasiri was fairly knowledgeable and knew he had a condition which needed immediate medical attention.

"When he was 24 years old he had experienced excruciating back pain and found his lower limbs gradually getting weaker and was so weak prior to the operation that he could not even lift his legs.

The condition was investigated and a tumour was detected in the Dorsal spine. He was subsequently admitted to the Polonnaruwa Base Hospital and the tumour was scooped out in 2006 and a sample was sent for histological examination which revealed that he had an aneurismal bone cyst and he had recovered.

However, after a short while the cyst had recurred and was getting bigger pressing on the spinal cord which meant an emergency surgery had to be performed very carefully, without damaging the spinal cord or the blood vessels. The operation also meant a loss of at least 20 pints of blood which was immediately replaced."

"A decompression was done and the tumour was removed, special type of screws were used to three vertebrae above and below to hold it together, a transpedicular fixation was done together with fusion of his vertebral bodies," he added.

"Backache is a very common problem more common in older people. However, if there is a continuous pain for more than six weeks it should not be neglected or overlooked, medical advice should be sought immediately.

X rays may not reveal a situation very clearly sometimes, so if there is excruciating pain then an MRI should be done and it is not practical to do MRI's for many patients as it is costly", Dr Perera advices readers.

The major operation was done by Dr. Vasantha Perera, Consultant, Orthopaedic Surgeon with Drs Sunil Perera, Neuro Surgeon, Varuna Karunaratne, Thoracic Surgeon and Anaesthetist, Rohini Ranwella.

[email protected]