Indian Spinal Injuries Centre Doctors perform Spine surgery on a 20-year-old who suffered injury after jumping headfirst into pool

New Delhi: Doctors at a private hospital in Delhi have conducted spine surgery on a 20-year-old patient who was rendered immobile after diving headfirst into the shallow end of a pool. 

Spinal fusion and fixation surgery usually take around one-and-a-half to three hours, doctors at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) said, adding that the recuperation period can be anywhere between one-and-a-half to three months.

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Noting that due to a lack of awareness, people dive into shallow waters headfirst and they hit the floor or bed and break their neck, they said that many of them become completely paralysed under the neck.

A lot of people dive in water canals in India, particularly young boys, and become quadriplegic for life for not adhering to the diving norms.

"They are usually in the age group of 15-35 years. They should dive leg first so that they can assess the depth of water. When you dive in unknown waters, you do not know the depth. If you feel there is enough depth, for example, 8-10 feet, then you can dive headfirst," said Dr Gururaj Sangondimath at ISIC.

The patient was rushed to ISIC immediately after the mishap in which he had severely injured his neck after he dived headfirst into a swimming pool. A student of fashion designing, he is currently receiving physiotherapy and according to the doctors, the whole rehabilitation process will be crucial for him as it will significantly improve his quality of life.

He was completely paralysed and even lost control over his urine and stool.

"We conducted spinal fusion surgery where we operated and fixed the spine with screws and rods. The patient is undergoing physiotherapy now and rehabilitation. Both will play a pivotal role in his recovery and improving his quality of life. Right now, he can't do much but with physiotherapy, he will start sitting in a wheelchair and carry out some of his daily activities. If his power improves over time, then he may also be able to do most of his daily activities," the senior doctor said.

Several cases of youngsters suffering from paralysis due to diving and hitting the floor have been observed recently and awareness regarding safety measures is required.

According to Blanksby's study, 89 per cent of injuries occur in water less than 1.52 metres deep. The incidence of spinal cord injuries following dive or fall into shallow water ranges between 1.2 and 21 per cent. Shallow water is defined as water with a maximum depth of 1.5m.

In the young patient's case, Dr Sangondimath said the focus is to prevent complications like a chest infection, and blood clotting in the lungs and legs, as happens often in such cases.

"We are preventing it through physiotherapy and medicine. In the coming days, we will teach him special skills on how to manage himself, and pass urine and stool from time to time. Rehabilitation is important for him to regain physical and mental strength so that he gets back into society through community integration. If surgery is half, then rehab is the other half of the whole procedure," he added. 

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