A 17-year-old girl from Poland, who suffered sideways curves in spine, also known as scoliosis, has been cured at a city hospital here through a surgery with spinal navigation -- a technique that helps surgeons guide their instruments for more precise screw placement.

Problem for Agnes started after she developed a hump on the right side of her back. Despite diagnosed of scoliosis and being clearly told that surgery was the only solution, Agnes did not want to undergo the treatment in her own country, as hospitals there did not have spinal navigation technique, which would make the surgery more risky.Accordingly, she and her parents learnt about Mumbai hospital and its expertise in treating scoliosis cases, and she admitted to the city-based hospital.Doctors said that the right shoulder blade was more prominently protruding along with waist asymmetry.

This had caused significant cosmetic deformity leading to loss of confidence and social stigma to the patient.As the condition was progressing with time, deformity correction and spinal fusion surgery was performed with the help of neuromonitoring and spinal navigation.The image-based technology used in spinal surgery utilises scans of the patient's anatomy and instruments that are tracked by the navigation system's camera. Navigation can help surgeons guide their instruments for more precise screw placement and assist in advanced procedures."Since the spine was totally deformed and crooked, the anatomy becomes extremely deranged in scoliosis. Insertion of pedicle screws, which forms the main powerful mechanism of scoliosis correction, becomes a challenge. Spinal navigation is a boon in such situations," said Arvind Kulkarni, Head of Mumbai Spine Scoliosis & Disc Replacement Centre, elaborating the surgery.

Kulkarni said after the surgery, Agnes had recovered well, with deformity treated."Agnes has recovered well and is now confident about her appearance and ready to fly back to Poland," said Kulkarni in a statement, adding that treatment procedure could become common as people get to know more about such advanced techniques.