New spinal surgery for Birmingham girl with scoliosis
An eight-year-old girl from Birmingham has undergone surgery to help correct her curved spine.
Zara Hamaeoun of Acocks Green suffers from spinal deformity, scoliosis, which affects one in 3,000 children.
Royal Orthopaedic Hospital surgeons performed the procedure called Shilla, claiming it to be a first in Europe.
They said the devices implanted into her spine were designed to adapt to a growing body and minimise the need for further surgery.
'We're very happy'
Zara's father, Mohammed Hamaeoun, said: "We were in line for another new surgery every six months until Zara stopped growing.
"This new equipment means she doesn't have to have as much surgery.
"We waited nearly three years for this surgery and we're very happy."
The operation, which took around six hours, will help support Zara's spine, that was bent almost at a right angle, with sliding metal rods.
David Marks, specialist at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, said: "The old way's main complication was that the children didn't actually grow.
"The bones fused together so that the procedure didn't work. This new technique has developed a way of overcoming that because the hold on the spine is much stronger."