TAMPA, Fla. – A local three-year-old girl is back at home with her family after doctors from Saint Joseph’s hospital in Tampa preformed a rare, cutting-edge surgery to correct a life threatening case of scoliosis.
Dr. David Siambanes a board-certified specialist in orthopedic surgery performed the surgery on Eldana Samson of Riverview, Florida. Born on May 29, 2012, Samson was diagnosed with spondylocostal dysostosis, a rare condition where her ribs had fused together at birth. This condition caused severe scoliosis of the upper spine that progressed as she grew.
For the surgery Siambanes utilized a Misonix scalpel, a blade which is dull but vibrates ultrasonically. This enables it to split the bone fusions, without creating tissue damage or injuring internal organs. Medically, the girl’s condition is extremely unique and the procedure is equally.
“I am really pleased with the results of the procedure and am extremely optimistic about Eldana’s prognosis ,” Dr. David Siambanes, the founder of the AfterChildren’s Scoliosis Center and director of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Scoliosis Center. “She will soon be able to play and resume a normal life. I can’t imagine a better outcome.”
While she will more than likely require additional smaller procedures through adolescence, Samson should be able to enjoy a much more normal childhood and life. Had Samson not have undergone surgery, this condition could have been life threatening.
