Scoliosis surgery restores quality of life for pediatric patient
Cayman Westerkamp’s health journey began as soon as he was welcomed into the world.
被诊断出患有一系列医疗问题，包括脑积水和脊柱裂，涉及颈椎和胸椎，他在他生命的头七年里住在中国湖南的一所医疗家中。然而，在2017年，开曼在德克萨斯州的世界各地找到了他永远的家庭。
“We originally hosted Cayman for a few weeks in 2016, and immediately fell in love with him,” said Cayman’s mother, Courtney Westerkamp. “After he left to return to China, we knew we wanted to adopt him. He was part of our family.”
For the most part, Cayman’s health remained stable for years. It wasn’t until July 2021 that a few worrisome symptoms arose.
“Cayman began having trouble breathing and was experiencing pain in his spine,” Courtney said.
他的父母了解他与脊柱裂的历史以及与患有脊柱侧弯的相关风险，立即向他预约了他们已经认识，爱和信任的专家的任命 -Surya N. Mundluru，医学博士，麦戈文医学院骨科手术系助理教授休斯顿乌西卫生and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon withUT Physicians.
Having previously cared for Cayman’s brother, Mundluru and the Westerkamp family were bonded.
“Dr. Mundluru is so patient-focused and really takes the time to do all the research and give you the best recommendation for a treatment plan,” Courtney said. “That’s what makes me trust him. I have so much faith and confidence in him.”
Cayman’s spina bifida is considered rare, involving both his lower lumbar spine and his upper cervical spinal area. As a result of his underlying spina bifida, he developed a progressive scoliosis deformity causing his lungs to have less space to function. Over time, the extreme level of abnormality and deformity caused reduced daily function and breathing complications.
“Scoliosis surgery is not just cosmetic. If not repaired, the condition can affect the chest wall and a patient’s ability to breathe,” Mundluru said.
After performing the necessary scans and tests before surgery, a major complication was discovered — a tethered spinal cord. In most individuals, the spinal cord floats freely inside the spinal canal. Cayman’s was attached, which meant two surgeries would be necessary with several UT Physicians experts.
For the first procedure, two pediatric neurosurgeons with UT Physicians joined Cayman’s health care team.Brandon A. Miller医学博士,博士,助理教授Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School, andManish N. Shah，医学博士，an associate professor also in the division at the medical school, were able to release the problematic spinal cord during a six-hour surgery.
Following a six-week healing period, it was time for the final spinal fusion procedure with Mundluru andShah-Nawaz Dodwad，医学博士，assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School and orthopedic spine surgeon with UT Physicians.
“我们使用了最先进的脊柱导航系统进行Cayman的融合手术来修复他的脊椎。大约花了12个小时，他做得很棒。”蒙德鲁鲁说。
开曼从背靠背的大量手术中恢复过来，参加了几周的物理疗法。
考特尼说：“他是如此顽强，决心变得更好。”“我记得他问他每天需要走几圈才能被释放。”
Eventually, his hard work paid off and things that were impossible before became a reality — like the simple act of riding a bike.
“It’s one of those things he could never do before because he didn’t have the balance, but now he loves it,” Courtney said. “He wants to be able to do so much, so we’ll just see how things go. That’s why these procedures were so important; it gave him his quality of life back.”
Mundluru plans on following Cayman’s case on a yearly basis for checkups, although he does believe his long-term prognosis is positive, in part because of his support system at home.
“The Westerkamps are the most wonderful people and are so positive,” Mundluru said. “I’m proud that the comprehensive care we were able to provide at UT Physicians made such a positive impact on their lives.”
Courtney and her husband Jason remain forever grateful for the care Cayman received, which they believe exceeded the usual expectations of a doctor/patient relationship.
“When we needed to speak with Dr. Mundluru, he was always there. Everything that he does for his patients and their families is above and beyond what you would expect,” she said.
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