Hyderabad,  A team of experts from a private hospital in Hyderabad have treated a rare deformity to help a patient stand in a straight posture after 15 years.

Ankylosing spondylitis, a rare type of arthritis, also known as Marie-Strumpell spondylitis, causes stiffness in the spine leading to acute pain in the lower back, and the damage subsequently spreads to other parts of the human body, as a result of which the patient would not be able to stand straight.

The 32-year-old Faraz from Gujarat's Vadodara city first experienced stiffness in his spine around two decades back and remained in a resulting curved posture for past 15 years. The patient failed to receive right treatment or advice about a possible cure for years, until one of his family friends recently suggested he visit Medicover Hospitals at Hyderabad.

According to Dr. Surya Prakash Rao Voleti, Consultant Spine Surgeon, Medicover Hospitals, ankylosing spondylitis crippled Faraz to a great extent, and even had an adverse impact on his personal hygiene too. There was a risk of the condition getting further aggravated with time, possibly causing crack in the spine which could result into a permanent deformity or paralysis.

"After conducting all necessary medical assessments, the patient was taken in for deformity correction. His spine bones were fused and stiff, which was a big challenge for the anesthesiologist to put in the endotracheal tube and to position him in prone position on the operating table," he said.

The patient was given general anesthesia using video laryngoscope to sedate and proper care had to be taken at every instance to ensure the vital organs were not under extreme stress in prone position during the surgery. And after an eight-hour-long procedure, the deformity was rectified completely and the patient returned to normal spine alignment, which also resulted in the patient's height increasing by four inches, added Dr Voleti.

The patient, who underwent surgery on November 12, was discharged from hospital on November 25 after post-surgery observation and recovery. Faraz will now be able to lead a normal life.