CHU-Amiens : a novel of scoliosis with a robot

CHUd’Amiens

Published the 10.10.2017 at 11h31

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Keywords :

scoliosepremière mondialeenfantrobots surgical

This is a world first that has asked a lot of work for surgeons. The department of surgery of the child of the CHU of Amiens (Somme) has carried out a successful operation by a robot on the spine of a 6 years old child suffering from a severe scoliosis. The intervention took place on the 28th September last.

Before D-Day, the Drs François Derrousen, Richard Gouron and Michel Lefranc, as well as their teams, have been training for over a year. During these long months, they have simulated the operation on models and the vertebral column printed in 3D to test all the possible scenarios.

A delicate operation

A lot of hard work and careful because this surgery is delicate. The young patient, Louis, is suffering from a spinal muscular atrophy infantile. A genetic disease evolving that causes muscle weakness bothered her breathing and couldn’t sit down. He spent his days lying on the side. The corsets he wore from a young age, had become ineffective.

Only solution to relieve the boy and halt the progression of her scoliosis : the implantation of screws in his pelvis and hooks in the upper part of his spine. These metal rods need to follow the growth of the child and do not block the vertebrae of the spine that can still grow, ” said CHU in a press release.

“Their installation in the vicinity of the nerve roots remains a very complex and rare ; they are large in view of the small size of the bones of the child (screw of 7mm diameter should be installed in a corridor of bone 8mm),” added the facility. The use of the robot has enabled surgeons to reduce the time of the intervention and the size of the incisions.

“It is a great victory”

Ten days after the operation, Louis is doing very well. Hospitalized in the rehabilitation department of the establishment picard, it breathes better and can now sit back and watch their interlocutors in the eyes. “It is a great victory,” rejoiced Dr. François Deroussen, pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at the origin of this project interviewed by France Bleu Picardie.

In the coming months, four young patients will benefit from this operation by a robot at the CHU of Amiens. Surgeons from other centres can also be trained and offer this intervention to their patients.