Patient from Qatar seeks help from Dr. Oliver Meier at the Hellersen Sports Clinic
At 18, Mohamed has his whole life ahead of him. He is bursting with joie de vivre and a zest for action. However, his life could have been very different. He had a fractured cervical vertebra and without the surgery performed by Dr. Oliver Meier, head physician of Special Spine Surgery at the Spine Center of the Hellersen Sports Clinic, he would now be a paraplegic.
What happened?
Mohamed had a car accident in his hometown in Dohar. The car overturned and the 18-year-old broke his sixth cervical vertebra in the accident. Because of its proximity to the spinal cord, treatment at this site is very difficult. It requires a very challenging and complicated surgery. The young man's anatomy - he has a short thick neck - made access for the surgery even more difficult. Doctors in Dohar did not want to operate on the 18-year-old for this reason. He was given pain management and a "rigid tie" (neck brace) to keep his neck completely immobilized. This is where the treatment should end. In this case, surgery is actually urgently needed to prevent paraplegia.
In the accident, the spinal cord had taken a blow. The vertebra was not only broken, but also deformed and compressed. That is, the stability of the spine was no longer given due to the compression. But most importantly, the deformity caused the trailing edge of the vertebra to press on the spinal cord. This can have serious consequences. The vertebra damages the spinal cord and, in turn, the nerves. "The longer this happens, the greater the negative effects," explains Dr. Oliver Meier. If the vertebra grows in this malposition, this pressure is exerted permanently and the spinal cord is damaged in the long term.
Mohamed learns about the Hellersen Sports Clinic and the head physician at the Lüdenscheid special clinic from an acquaintance who also lives in Dohar and was operated on by Dr. Oliver Meier due to scoliosis. He is able to help the 18-year-old. For Dr. Oliver Meier, these operations are routine. He specializes in complex operations on the spine - such as for high-grade instabilities and deformities.
Three months after his accident, Mohammed is in Germany with Dr. Oliver Meier. He already feels tingling in his legs and pain in his hand. "These are the first warning signs, neurological parameters that must be taken into account urgently," explains Dr. Oliver Meier. In plain language: a future paraplegia is looming. It is high time for surgery. If this does not happen, complete paralysis can occur from the level of the damaged cervical vertebra. At most, a residual function in the hands could then possibly remain.
What had to be operated?
In an operation lasting several hours, Dr. Oliver Meier completely removes the deformed vertebral body to relieve the spinal cord. He then inserted a placeholder - a vertebral body replacement - which is screwed into place with a plate to provide stability.
"The threat of paraplegia caused the urgency of the surgery. But even apart from that, the surgery was urgently needed to prevent permanent misalignment of the entire cervical spine. Misalignment of the cervical spine over decades causes the entire statics to change over time - in the long term, the vertebrae tilt forward, which is why the entire spine becomes unstable. In addition, a malposition leads to muscular problems, posture problems and pain," explains the chief physician for special spine surgery.
How is the patient doing now?
After twelve weeks, the vertebra will have grown in. Until then, rest is the order of the day. After that, increasing weight-bearing is possible, and at some point full weight-bearing will be possible again, as before the accident. Mohammed is happy that everything went well and that he can once again enjoy his young life to the full. Just recently, Dr. Oliver Meier received the control images. The vertebra has grown in well, everything is selling perfectly.
Not an isolated case: many Arab patients come to the Hellersen Sports Clinic
An acquaintance of Mohamed's had already been treated for scoliosis at the Hellersen Sports Clinic a few months earlier. She recommended Dr. Oliver Meier to the young man. Many patients come from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to be treated at the Hellersen Sports Clinic and by Dr. Oliver Meier. Germany is known in Qatar and in the Gulf States for its very good medical reputation, especially when it comes to the treatment of bones and joints. Medical services in the Arab states also refer patients to Germany for complicated cases. In addition to personal recommendations, the embassy has provided contact addresses of some physicians - including that of Dr. Oliver Meier.
Special spine surgery
The expertise of the Special Spine Surgery in the Spine Center of the Hellersen Sports Clinic focuses in particular on highly complex interventions on the spine. A major specialty of Dr. Oliver Meier and his team is the treatment of scoliosis, a lateral deviation of the spine with rotation of the vertebrae. The special spine surgery unit alone treats over 100 scolioses per year.
Press contact
Sarah Burghaus
Head of Marketing, Corporate Communication & PR, Press Spokesperson
sarah.burghaus@hellersen.de
Marie Schulz
Public Relations
marie.schulz@hellersen.de
