Patient records:
Name: Nguyen
Age: 6 years old
Nationality: Vietnamese
Diagnosis: Congenital scoliosis (hemievertebral malformation)
Treatment Hospital: Shanghai Children's Medical Center (National Children's Medical Center), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Precise removal of "bad bone" straightens a curved spine.
Six-year-old Nguyen Van from Hanoi, Vietnam, was shorter than other children from a young age, and a bulge on his back grew increasingly noticeable. He was afraid to play with other children because he would be out of breath after running just a few steps. A local hospital diagnosed him with congenital hemivertebrae deformity—a deformed "butterfly vertebra" on his thoracic spine. This necrotic bone acted like a wedge, constantly pushing his spine laterally and backward, creating a sharp curve. This deformity would worsen rapidly with growth, eventually compressing the spinal cord and causing paralysis, as well as compressing his heart and lungs, endangering his life. The only treatment was surgical removal of this "time bomb."
During the data analysis process , our medical team focused on "hemiectomy," a highly sophisticated technique in spinal surgery. We recommended the Department of Orthopedics at Shanghai Children's Medical Center, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. This center was among the first in China to perform "posterior hemivertebractomy with pedicle screw fixation," a procedure that allows for the complete removal of the deformed vertebra and stable reconstruction of the spine in a single posterior approach, avoiding the significant trauma of combined anterior and posterior approaches.
of our service , our core value was "eliminating fear." We explained to Nguyen Van's family how to "remove" the deformed hemivertebrae and then "straighten" the spine using a rod and screw system. At the same time, we arranged preoperative cardiopulmonary function assessments and nutritional support to ensure that Nguyen Van was in the best possible condition for the surgery.
After Ruan Wen's family arrived in Shanghai , we organized a multidisciplinary team (MDT) preoperative discussion involving orthopedics, anesthesiology, neurological monitoring, and intensive care. On the day of the surgery, our coordinator accompanied the family throughout the procedure. The surgery was performed under neurophysiological monitoring, with the surgeons operating meticulously under a microscope to completely remove the hemivertebra and secure it internally with screws and titanium rods. When the doctors emerged from the operating room and informed them that "neurological monitoring is normal, and the deformity correction is satisfactory," Ruan Wen's parents were moved to tears.
After the surgery, Ruan Wen's back "lump" disappeared, and he immediately grew 3 centimeters taller. A rehabilitation therapist intervened the day after surgery, guiding him in bed exercises. Upon discharge, we customized a one-year remote rehabilitation and brace management plan for him. After returning home, we tracked his recovery through regular full-spine X-rays, and his condition was remotely assessed by experts in Shanghai. Our services not only removed a deformed bone, but also, through precise techniques and comprehensive rehabilitation management, rebuilt a strong pillar of support for Ruan Wen's life.