UMC Hospitals Joins Hands with USER Foundation and UniHealth Foundation to Provide Life-Changing Spine Surgeries to Two Children
The initiative provided critical surgical care to a 17-year-old boy with scoliosis and a 12-year-old girl with a progressive spinal deformity, with Medtronic supporting the camp.
For two children living with serious spinal deformities, access to specialized surgery has opened the door to a healthier future. UMC Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, in association with USER Foundation and UniHealth Foundation, supported corrective spine surgeries for a 17-year-old boy detected with scoliosis and a 12-year-old girl having progressive spinal deformity after tuberculosis. This unique initiative covered the costs of surgery, hospitalization along with medical care, ensuring that financial constraints did not stand in the way of essential treatment. Even Medtronic also supported the charitable camp.
Timely intervention for a progressive spinal deformity
Twelve-year-old girl, a resident of Ghansoli Gaon, Navi Mumbai, developed a progressive kyphotic deformity, an abnormal forward curvature of the spine, following spinal tuberculosis. Even after seeking treatment for the infection, the patient’s spinal deformity worsened, raising concerns regarding neurological complications, such as weakness or paralysis of the lower limbs.
The patient underwent spinal stabilization and fusion surgery for correcting the deformity. The surgery was successful, and the patient was discharged within four days, returning home walking. She continues to receive follow-up care and rehabilitation support.
Corrective surgery helps a teenager regain spinal balance
Seventeen-year-old boy, a resident of Govandi, Mumbai, had been living with a progressively worsening spinal deformity for approximately four years. Initially noticed by his mother, the condition then became prominent, causing uneven shoulders and a visible rib hump. Despite seeking medical advice at several centres in Uttar Pradesh and Navi Mumbai, he had not received definitive treatment.
The Patient underwent corrective spine surgery for addressing the deformity and improving spinal alignment and balance. The patient has now resumed his daily routine and also continues follow-up care through UMC Hospitals’ rehabilitation unit.
Both surgeries were performed by USER Foundation spine surgeons Dr. Rohan Gala, Dr. Tarun Suri and Dr. Sri Krishna Chaitanya. The procedures involved advanced technologies, ultrasonic surgical instruments, intraoperative neural monitoring and precision navigation systems, to improve surgical accuracy and also monitor critical neural structures.
Sharing his perspective on the surgical interventions, Dr. Rohan Gala, Lead Spine and Scoliosis Surgeon and Director of USER Foundation, said, “Both children required specialised surgical care to correct their spinal deformities and prevent further complications. We are pleased that both surgeries were successful and that the children are recovering well. This initiative highlights how timely intervention and access to advanced technology can make a meaningful difference in young patients’ lives.”
Commenting on the initiative from the hospital’s perspective, Dr. Akshay Parmar, Director, UMC Hospitals, said, “At UMC Hospitals, we believe that access to quality healthcare should not depend on a family’s financial circumstances. As a healthcare institution, our responsibility extends beyond providing medical infrastructure to ensuring that our facilities and clinical expertise can make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Through this initiative, we were able to support the delivery of specialized spine care to two children who needed complex surgical treatment. Collaborations with organizations such as USER Foundation and UniHealth Foundation help us extend the reach of advanced healthcare and reinforce our commitment to compassionate, patient-centred care.”
Got a story that Healthcare Executive should dig into? Shoot it over to arunima.rajan@hosmac.com—no PR fluff, just solid leads.