Keyhole surgery works Christmas miracle

By FRANCESCA MOLD health reporter

A 12-year-old boy with a severely twisted spine has had his back straightened by breakthrough surgery performed for the first time in New Zealand.

Robert Willcox suffered so badly from scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, that he found it difficult to keep his balance.

Now the Wanganui youngster is keen to get back on his skateboard and play basketball, using the 8cm of height he has gained from the operation.

Robert's spine was repaired through small holes in his skin by Starship children's hospital paediatric spinal surgeons Michael Barnes and Haemish Crawford, using a new keyhole technique considered largely experimental.

The technique means Robert's recovery has been much quicker, his risk of complications reduced and the scars are much smaller.

Mr Crawford described the technique as an exciting breakthrough but warned that it was not suitable for all children with scoliosis.

Robert was diagnosed with scoliosis several years ago while in hospital for treatment to help him put on weight.

In the past year, his condition worsened rapidly. His twisted spine caused his right shoulder-blade and ribs to protrude significantly.

Scoliosis nearly always occurs during the growth spurt just before and during adolescence, although it is occasionally found as a birth defect.

A small degree of spinal curvature occurs in 10 per cent of the population.

Only 0.3 to 0.5 per cent of adolescents suffer from a severely curved spine.

The straightened spine gave Robert an extra 8cm in height and significantly reduced the prominence of his shoulder and ribs.

The operation, carried out in October, involved making three small incisions in his back. Doctors then inserted tubes in the holes which allowed them to pass through a camera on a scope and surgical instruments.

The special instruments needed for the surgery cost $20,000 and were financed by Mercury Energy through the Starship Foundation.

Surgeons collapsed Robert's lung to allow them access to the spine from inside the body.

Portions of six of Robert's ribs were removed and cut into small chips.

A number of soft discs which allow the spine to sink into an "S" shape were removed and the rib chips inserted in their place to make a solid structure.

Surgeons then cut along the length of Robert's spine from the outside and attached two metal rods to either side to give it permanent support.

The spine will take from six to 12 months to settle into its new shape.

If doctors had used the more common technique, they would have had to make a large cut running from Robert's side around under the shoulder-blade.

Robert's mother, Ailsley Willcox, said his condition had made it difficult for him to balance, was upsetting for him and could have led to his lungs becoming congested.

"He used to have real trouble. Now he no longer walks like he is drunk."