Chinese Man Suffered From Folded Spine, Finally Stands Up After 28 Years

In China, doctors at the Shenzhen University General Hospital conducted multiple surgeries on a ¡®folded man¡¯ in order to help him stand once again. Li Hua -- a 46-year old -- had been suffering from a severe kind of ankylosing spondylitis.

Shenzhen University General Hospital

What is ankylosing spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis, also known as Bechterew's disease is a condition where inflammatory arthritis affects the spine and large joints. Ankylosing means fusing of the bone. This basically causes a reduction in flexibility in the spine, making it difficult for individuals to stand up or even move properly.

The inflammation also causes the bone to weaken and body, in response, the body produces extra calcium to grow more bone, connecting joints that aren¡¯t supposed to be connected.

The condition first surfaced when Li Hua was just 18 years old but due to financial difficulties, they could not afford treatment at that time and it got worse over the years. In Li Hua¡¯s situation, three parts of his body were connected, resulting in the fold -- his chin to his chest, his breastbone to his pubic bone, and his face to his thigh bone.

His mother who is now 71 years old, has been taking care of him for nearly 28 years and tried several treatments but none worked for Li Hua.

Shenzhen University General Hospital

Prepping for surgeries

Tao Huiren was the doctor looking after Li Hua and his treatments at Shenzhen Universal General Hospital. He analysed Li¡¯s condition and took two weeks to work out a plan of action. The surgery according to him was a non-negotiable as being in this folded condition could put his life in further danger, as it could lead to organ failures. In the doctor¡¯s words, this surgery was equivalent to climbing Mount Everest.

The doctor planned four massive surgeries, that involved breaking the existing deformed bones and reconstructing them to help him stand up and maintain his posture. The risk involved in the surgeries was pretty high as it could result in Li Hua to become paraplegic, undergo hemorrhagic shock due to extreme blood loss and even die during the surgery.

Undergoing four massive surgeries one after another

The first surgery was a Femoral Osteotomy which involved breaking and reconstructing his thigh bones this allowed the space between Li Hua¡¯s face and thighs to increase. This surgery went on for three hours.

After this, doctors conducted Cervical Osteotomy which involved breaking and reconstructing his cervical spine which helped him to lift his head this surgery went on for 6 hours.

Shenzhen University General Hospital

The third surgery was Lumbar Spine Osteotomy where doctors broke and reconstructed the lumbar spine to help him stand up on his own legs. This surgery involved doctors from the field of anesthesiology, orthopaedics, as well as experts in infectious diseases. This surgery went on for around 10 hours, however, after that, he could finally lay on his back after nearly 20 years.

The fourth and the final surgery was a hip joint replacement to help him stand up without any support and will be able to walk on his feet. This surgery went on for seven hours.

Months of rehabilitation

While the surgeries were now completed, the next stage was rehabilitation, which involved physiotherapy. In the 28 years of his condition, his muscles shrunk considerably and physiotherapy was crucial to bring him back on track.

Shenzhen University General Hospital

After nearly a year of staying away from his home, and undergoing treatments at the hospital, Li Hua was finally ready to face the world on his two legs.