From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
A South Africa-based Nigerian orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Dennis Agbazue has brought a huge relief to spinal injury patients.
A native of Alor community in Anambra state, Dr. Agbazue who is one of the few spinal surgeons in South Africa who perform both uni-portal and bi-portal endoscopic spinal surgeries, recorded a major breakthrough in the profession recentlyb when he successfully carried out a complex endoscopic spinal surgery on a 55-year old patient.
He achieved the feat at the Mediclinic Vereeniging Hospital, a renowned multidisciplinary private hospital situated in the city centre of Vereeniging, on the tranquil Vaal River in South Africa’s Gauteng region.
Dr. Agbazue said that before his latest feat, he actually started practicing endoscopic spinal surgery technique since 2022 at Mediclinic Vereeniging Hospital,and, that within the period he had successfully handled about 330 patients using uni-portal technique.
He said, however, they recently begun using the bi-portal technique which involves use of a camera portal and working portal adding that the technique facilitates carry out “more extensive surgeries.
He said that the above technique is one of the least invasive ways to perform surgeries using endoscopic technique.
“The procedure involved a bi-portal endoscopy on the L4/L5 lumbar spine, along with a bilateral laminectomy to relieve pressure on the spinal canal and surrounding areas as well as, a disc removal and spinal fusion.
He said that surgery performed on the 55-year old man from Vaalpark was done using endoscopic technique, where the lumbar spine, spinal stenosis and lateral recess were all treated in one procedure.
“We released the pressure on the central part of the spinal cord and the left and right corners, and, then performed a fusion to address the spinal instability”, Dr. Agbazue stated.
He said that the 55-year old patient had a condition called spondylolisthesis where one vertebrae slips over the other one below it.
He said “In this case, the L4 vertebra was slipping over L5. This caused spinal stenosis and pressure on the nerves”.
The patient, he explained experienced pain and cramps down both legs, making it hard for him to bend, stand, sit, or walk for a long period.
He said that because the patient was an engineer, his condition made him to be struggling with his daily task.
He explained how patients are treated through endoscopic surgery technique saying ” Spinal endoscopic surgery treats spinal problems through one or two small cuts on the patient’s back.
“We use X-ray or fluoroscopy to guide us to the right spot.The camera reaches the area we need approaching the spinal canal to find the problem. This allows surgeons to access the area and remove bone, ligaments and damaged disc material that are pressing on the spinal cord and nerves.
“You then relieve the pressure with another portal. BY feeling the pressure on the nerve you can ease the compression causing the back and leg pain. In most cases this provides the patient with immediate relief from pain.
“You can do fusion through this working portal of the camera, which is about 2cm large, a procedure that previously would have been done through a big gap created through open surgery. So, it offers a massive advantage to the patient”, he stated further.
Unlike the commonly open surgery technique which according to the orthopaedic surgeon that takes about six weeks for the patient to recover after the surgery, a patient who underwent spinal surgery through Endoscopic technique stays on between 24 and 48 hours in the hospital before leaving and such patient returns quicker to quality and better life according Dr. Agbazue.
He also said that endoscopic surgery technique facilitates faster surgery as according to him , the adoption of the new technique has increased the visibility of the hospital records more spinal injured patients.