A spinal deformity conference was held under the roof of the Jagannath Gupta Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital (JIMSH) in collaboration with the ‘Operation Straight Spine’ trust on 3 March to celebrate the successful completion of 12 pediatric scoliosis surgeries this year and to announce their spine workshop, which is being held from 3-8 March at the aforementioned location.

The conference announced the institute’s success and zeal, which assembled a team of doctors from around the world to provide free scoliosis and other spinal surgeries for underprivileged children. Such an undertaking requires a heart and passion for social good and could not be achieved with money alone.

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The panelists present in the conference were Krishna Kumar Gupta, chairman of JIMSH; Dr Ujjal Debnath, professor and HOD of the department of orthopaedics and also the chairman of ‘Operation Straight Spine’; Dr Alaaeldin Ahmad, professor of paediatric orthopaedic and paediatric spine surgeon, Palestine; Dr Massimo Balsano, professor of spine surgery, Italy; Dr Girish Swamy, a spine specialist of UK; Jacqualine Critchley, a specialist surgeon care, UK.

Scoliosis is an abnormal side-to-side curvature of the spine. The spine (backbone), which naturally has a slight forward and backward curve, tends to bend more. It is observed that almost 33 backbones get curved. Though most cases of scoliosis are mild and don’t cause symptoms, there are severe cases that can cause uneven posture and pain, especially in children, more precisely, in girls.

Krishna Kumar Gupta, the chairman of JIMSH, said, “Scoliosis develops in children between the ages of 2 and 18, predominantly affecting females. This condition not only impacts physical health but also takes a toll on mental well-being, leading to lowered confidence levels among peers and therefore increased depression. This abnormality can be cured only by a prolonged, complicated and expensive surgery, which many families could not afford. Hence, children may apply for the surgery under this initiative. Applications will proceed with details about the surgeries, appointing the date, time and estimated duration of the procedure.”

“I have dedicated 35 years to specialising and working in this field, both domestically and internationally. In 2011, I left my consultancy position to actively be a member of the spine recovery programme and contribute my hands to it. Research on scoliosis has been developing since 2006, and still the causes remain unknown,” said Dr Ujjal Debnath, Professor and HOD of the department of orthopaedics, adding, “Congenital scoliosis occurs at birth and is caused by genes. Idiopathic scoliosis, another variant, typically affects girls starting around age 12, when the spine begins to bend. The onset of menstrual hormones can often trigger this.”