Dubai: One year after she went through a difficult surgery to straighten her left leg, 12-year old Judith Rattananayke went under the surgeon’s knife again this Wednesday to straighten her right leg.
The bright girl studying in grade 6, suffers from a rare form of dwarfism called Achondroplasia which made her stop growing physically after the age of two.
This not only resulted in stunted growth, but twisted her lower limbs into S-shaped distortions, causing severe pain and difficulty in carrying out regular chores of life. Surgery in the second leg was the second phase of a two-year difficult project to correct the deformity and give her a better quality of life.
The rare surgery called Illizarov Technique that uses an external fixator with pins and conducted in Dubai by paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr Marc Sinclair helps keep the bone straight and removes the twists and distortions. The entire project will eventually cost upwards of Dh800.000 and is being done for free under the aegis of the UK — based charity The Little Wings Foundation as Judith’s parents Renuka and Mangala Rattanayake, are unable to afford the costs.
Ever since the first surgery, not only has the bone in that leg straightened out, Rattanayake has already gained 1.5cm height adding the much-needed height to her one-metre tall frame. Although in her case, height gain was not the main motive, Rattanayake is likely to gain more height, approximately a total of 4cm after the completion of this two-year project which began in February last year finally concludes and her limb are straightened completely by 2016.
“I know the surgery is painful as I have been suffering from pain the whole year with 16 pins put into my bone to assist its growth. But now my left leg is straight and I am able to walk with the help of a walker, I am able to do things like getting into bed unassisted, living without the severe cramps and joint pain that kept me awake all night. I do not mind this pain, because eventually after this leg straightens out I will be able to do simple things like switching on the light button in my room, walking to my classroom without help, going to the washroom unassisted and living a life free of pain,” said Rattanayake who will be in hospital for three days after surgery and plans to give her second term exams at her school from next week.
“My daughter is really bright and hardworking and her teachers at St Mary’s High School acknowledge that. They have been very helpful and cooperative and have had her classroom on the ground floor. In this entire year she missed school only for one month last February after the surgery and despite the painful frame around her leg, went to school on a wheelchair and did very well in all her exams and projects. She continues with physiotherapy in her left leg which was operated last year. After the first surgery in her right leg, she will require a second one after three months in the upper part of her limb. This time Dr Sinclair is not doing surgery in the entire leg to spare her excruciating pain. She will have only six pins inserted in her bone instead of 16 last year and we are hopeful she will be able to manage school,” said Renuka, her mother. “She returns to school next week for her exams and is bearing the pain very courageously. I am really proud of her.”
Dr Sinclair who conducted the surgery on the second leg in stages, approaching the lower portion of her leg first told Gulf News: “Judith has undoubtedly improved with the correction achieved. She is currently attending physiotherapy and mobilising her joints after the fixator was removed. She will continue doing so for some time. Her second leg will be approached in stages, rather than correcting it in the same way as the first. I hope that in dividing it up, it will be less stressful on her.”
