Ground breaking spinal surgery performed in Colombo

by P. Krishnaswamy

A young, innovative Consultant Neuro Surgeon, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena attached to Lanka Hospitals, Colombo, has done the nation proud by performing, for the first time in Sri Lanka, surgery for servical disc prolapse of the spine and replacement with functional discs.

The surgery was carried out successfully on a man in his forties last week with the participation of Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Dilshan Gunadasa. Hitherto, only a surgical procedure known as 'cage infusion' for disc prolapse was being performed in Sri Lanka as treatment for the condition and its disadvantage was that it leaves the specific part of the spine static, Dr. Gunasena told the Sunday Observer.

Functional disc replacement is carried out in England, many other European countries, Canada and also in India, but only at specific medical centres where the latest cutting-edge technology is available, he said.

Dr.Gunasena had also performed, for the first time in Sri Lanka, 'balloon kyphoplasty' surgery for spinal code fractures, which is common among osteoporosis patients.

They get fractures in the spine and consequently the spine becomes crooked, causing severe pain to the patient.

What was done earlier was to put screws in the bones above and below the fractured bone and straighten the spinal code by fixing a rod.

Under the new technology, a tiny hole is made into the fractured vertebra, a balloon put inside and expanded and the fractured vertebra corrected, Dr.Gunasena said.