City bizman who suffered paralysis during swimming recovers after surgery at AIIMS
New Delhi: A 31-year-old businessman from Najafgarh, Avinash Singh, made an extraordinary recovery after suffering quadriplegia following a swimming accident. Struck by an object in a pond, Singh lost all sensory and motor functions below his neck.
After receiving care at
AIIMS Trauma Centre
, he regained sensation and no longer requires ventilator support—a remarkable outcome given the severity of his injury.
Traditionally, complete cervical spinal cord injuries have recovery rates below 1%. However, Singh's case defied these odds thanks to an innovative surgical procedure known as expansile duraplasty, performed alongside standard decompression and fixation techniques.
Expansile duraplasty goes beyond conventional laminectomy, extending surgical decompression into the intrathecal space around the spinal cord. This approach aims to improve spinal cord perfusion and enhance motor recovery following such traumatic injuries.
Over the past few years, at least 10 patients with similar high cervical spinal cord injuries at AIIMS Trauma Centre have benefited from this procedure, showing significant improvement and being discharged successfully.
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Dr Deepak Agrawal, the neurosurgeon leading Singh's treatment, explained that spinal cord injuries often resulted in severe complications, with complete cord injuries affecting up to one-third of the patients. "Spinal cord edema, a common secondary injury mechanism, exacerbates damage. Cervical expansile duraplasty helps mitigate this by reducing the effects of edema," he noted.
Statistics reveal that 80% of the patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries remain paralysed and 40% require lifelong ventilator support.
Against these stark figures, Singh's progress stands out.
Recounting their ordeal, Singh's wife, Deepika, a govt teacher, said, "The incident occurred on April 26. We first sought help at a local health centre, then at Deen Dayal Hospital, and were referred to Safdarjung Hospital. However, we chose AIIMS Trauma Centre on April 27." The couple has been married for three years. "Despite being a regular swimmer, that particular day proved unfortunate as he sustained an injury that affected the entire family.
Following a successful surgery, there is now hope as he has begun regaining sensation. His recovery is progressing well," she added.
Following admission and stabilisation at AIIMS Trauma Centre, Singh underwent an MRI scan and had surgery on April 30 while requiring ventilator support. He began regaining sensation soon after, and by May 12, he was breathing independently without mechanical support. Singh is currently undergoing physiotherapy, with doctors optimistic about further motor function improvements.
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