Height increase operation in case of achondroplasia

Achondroplasia is a congenital disease of musculoskeletal system of a generalized nature, accompanied by disproportionality of the body and stunting (the shortness of height may reach 30-40 centimeters compared to normal height).

If your child has a similar diagnosis, don’t be discouraged Thanks to the rapid development of medicine and the advent of innovative technologies, it is quite possible to correct the pathology with help of surgical treatment and use of special devices.

Surgical operations aimed to increase height in case of achondroplasia work best if started at the age of 6-7 years. In childhood, surgery is usually well tolerated and is almost not accompanied by complications, and the body quickly adapts to changes.

Height increase operation at Ladisten Clinic

• minimally invasive – allows to minimize traumatizing of the body and avoid bleeding;
• good cosmetic effect – doesn’t leave large scars;
• quick rehabilitation – after 2-3 weeks the patient can return to normal lifestyle;
• high performance – in 98% of cases it is possible to get good and excellent results.

The peculiarities of treatment according to the method of Vitaliy Veklich

In the treatment of the effects of achondroplasia, doctors of Ladisten clinic use Veklich patented devices, which are an improved version of Ilizarov device. Their impact is based on the method of limb lengthening developed by Ilizarov and improved by Veklich. The construction allows to keep to the basic principle that the clinic staff is guided by – “do no harm”. Thanks to the minimally traumatic operation with stretching the limbs with help of the device, it is possible to achieve the maximum possible result and prevent serious complications.

After using Ilizarov device, noticeable scars were left from surgical incisions and from a large number of spokes. The wounds also were healing for a long time and often became infected, which, in turn, led to pain, emergence of muscle contracture and development of osteomyelitis. Now these problems can be avoided.

The principles of treatment of achondroplasia according to the methodics of Dr. Veklich

• bloodlessness and rapidity during installation;
• lack of noticeable scars;
• light weight and hemispherical shape (in contrast to the classic triangular), which helps to minimize discomfort when wearing;
• hypoallergenicity – the absence of allergic reactions;
• the ability to bear large body weight of patients;
• minimum number of spokes that may injure soft tissues;
• quick removal;
• high treatment effectiveness.

The doctors of the clinic specify the construction of the device individually for each patient, with the characteristics of the diagnosis, age, body proportions and height peculiarities being taken into account.

Stages of treatment of achondroplasia at Ladisten clinic

If you only lower limbs are lengthened, then the disproportionality of the body increases. Therefore, simultaneously with the legs and hips, the shoulder segment should be also lengthened.

At Ladisten Clinic, the increase of height in case of dwarfism is performed in 6 stages which are divided in two.

At the age of 4-6 years, the first 3 stages are carried out:

• at the first stage, the anticnemions are lengthened by 6 centimeters;
• at the second stage, the hips are lengthened by 7-8 centimeters;
• at the third stage, the shoulders are lengthened by 5 centimeters.

At 14-15 years, the following 3 stages begin:

• at the fourth stage, the anticnemions are lengthened by 6 centimeters;
• at the fifth stage, the hips are lengthened by 6-7 centimeters;
• at the sixth stage lengthen the shoulders by 5 centimeters.

The duration of each stage is 5-6 months. Between them a 2-3-month break is made.

How is the operation of height increase in case of achondroplasia is carried out

The anesthetic is chosen for each patient individually, taking into account the characteristics of the body.

The surgeon cuts a bone through a small hole (1-2 mm), after which he fixes bone fragments using an external fixation device.

The duration of the operation on both limbs is 1 hour 20 minutes.

The process of limb lengthening

The limbs are lengthened by distraction, that is, bone stretching. The lengthening begins 10 days after surgery. During one day, the length of the limb increases by a millimeter. Accordingly, the duration of the procedure will depend on how much the bone needs to be lengthened. Usually the process takes 50-70 days. Every 3-6 weeks, X-rays are taken to monitor the effectiveness of the correction.

Consolidation

When the expected limb length is reached, the distraction process is stopped and transferred to consolidation – bone knitting. The duration of this stage depends on the rate of the lengthening and regenerative abilities of the patient’s body. It is approximately 2 times longer than the stage of bone stretching.

Removal of the device

Before removing the device, a test is made. To do this, fixation of the corrective device is weakened and the patient is able to walk for 2-3 hours. Then an X-ray photograph is taken, on the basis of the results of which the attending doctor makes a decision on the removal of the device. The procedure takes no more than 10-20 minutes, and after that the patient can return home or stay in the clinic for rehabilitation.

During rehabilitation, it is necessary to gradually increase the load on the legs and do therapeutic exercises to strengthen the muscles.

Sometimes our little patients and their parents get together

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