Spinal Cord Injury: Timely Treatment to Avoid Disability

SGGP 04/18/2023 13:33

Spinal cord injury is often caused by trauma or diseases related to the spinal cord. As a result, the patient is at risk of complete paralysis, almost disabled if not handled and treated properly.

Patient LVP (60 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) is practicing physical therapy at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Rehabilitation and Occupational Disease Treatment.

Spectacular recovery

In June 2022, Ms. VTB (53 years old, residing in Long An province) had a traffic accident and was transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Rehabilitation and Occupational Disease Treatment Hospital for emergency treatment in a state of quadriplegia. Through examination, Ms. B. was determined to have a very severe lumbar spine fracture. This was also the main cause of the patient's traumatic shock, leading to complete paralysis of both legs and urinary retention. Immediately after being admitted to the hospital, Ms. B. underwent emergency surgery and was then transferred to the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department for treatment. After 4 months of treatment, Ms. B. was discharged from the hospital with a brace to support her left knee, and she is now able to move and do housework normally... Evaluating Ms. B.'s case, Dr. Nguyen Van Nhiem, Head of the Department of Surgery - Orthopedics, Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Rehabilitation and Occupational Disease Treatment, said that this was a difficult surgery because the team had to fix 5 vertebrae, shape and correct the slipped vertebrae, restore the compressed nerve roots in the body as much as possible, patch the spinal cord, cut almost completely off the L4 vertebrae and replace them with a titanium cage.

Similarly, patient LVP (60 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) was traveling in Da Lat when he accidentally slipped and fell and was transferred to Lam Dong General Hospital for emergency treatment with a crushed spinal cord at the C3 and C4 vertebrae. After the initial emergency treatment and treatment, the patient was transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Rehabilitation and Occupational Diseases Hospital for physical therapy. With his own perseverance and the efforts of the medical team and doctors of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department, Mr. P. has now been able to move his limbs and is being guided to walk. Mr. P. expressed: “Thanks to physical therapy, my condition is progressing very well. I hope that in the near future, I will be able to walk again and return to my family in good health.”

The above are 2 of hundreds of patients with severe spinal cord injuries, poor recovery prognosis, risk of paralysis, even disability, but were treated promptly at the Ho Chi Minh City Rehabilitation and Occupational Disease Treatment Hospital and almost fully recovered. According to Dr. Nguyen Van Nhiem, in addition to timely surgery, perseverance in proper physical therapy greatly contributes to the patient's recovery ability.

Timely treatment, proper treatment

According to Dr. Phan Minh Hoang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Rehabilitation and Occupational Disease Treatment, in the past 5 years, the hospital has treated thousands of cases related to spinal cord injuries; of which, 76.66% of patients were injured due to accidents, the rest were due to diseases such as spinal tumors, abscesses, spinal blood vessels, etc. Notably, surgical complications also cause spinal cord injuries, at a rate of 4.1%. “The spinal cord plays a particularly important role in the body's activities. When the spinal cord is injured, it can lead to spinal deformities such as hunchback, scoliosis, and double spines. More seriously, spinal cord injuries can leave up to 10 complications in most organs in the body (respiratory, nervous, muscular, skeletal, urinary, digestive, circulatory, etc.), causing paralysis if not intervened early and given timely physical therapy,” Dr. Phan Minh Hoang informed.

At the Ho Chi Minh City Orthopedic Hospital, many cases of traffic accidents and work accidents with lumbar spine fractures leading to severe spinal cord injuries were also treated. Dr. Nguyen Trong Tin, Head of Spine B Department, Ho Chi Minh City Orthopedic Hospital, said that if these cases are not treated effectively, they will leave serious sequelae for the patient, burdening the family and society. Recently, the Spine B Department has used a method of combining posterior fixation with a short, simple configuration but still ensuring enough stability, thoroughly relieving compression, preserving and regenerating the fractured vertebral body, shortening the surgery time, reducing blood loss, thereby increasing the recovery ability to the maximum.

To limit the danger to patients with spinal cord injuries, especially after an accident, experts recommend that victims need to be immobilized, given proper first aid, and have timely surgery to prevent compression of the spinal cord and nerve damage. In addition to treatment efforts and physical therapy with the support of modern specialized equipment, patients with spinal cord injuries and physical weakness also need psychological support to achieve the best results. At the same time, maintaining nutritional status is considered an important factor in improving the treatment process of patients with spinal cord injuries.

People with spinal cord injuries are more likely to develop nutritionally-related conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, experts note that nutritional needs vary depending on age, gender, and lifestyle. Daily nutrient intake can range from 1,000 calories for people who are less active to more than 3,000 calories for people who are more active. As you get older, your calorie needs decrease.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ton-thuong-tuy-song-dieu-tri-kip-thoi-de-tranh-nguy-co-tan-phe-post686162.html