A MAN nicknamed the “bent man” has had life-changing surgery after spending years bent over.
Li Hua, from China, lived with the autoimmune disease ankylosing spondylitis for almost 30 years before the operation.
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He began experiencing symptoms of the rare arthritis at age 19 and was unable to stand, eat or walk properly for more than 25 years.
But thanks to the surgery he is now able to move around and live a more normal life, he said.
Li told the South China Morning Post: “I have been doing rehabilitation exercises at home for the past few months.
“Now I can walk slowly with the walker, go to the sink, brush my teeth and wash my face. I can hold a bowl and eat like anyone else, sitting at the table.
“I’m happy – I have hope.”
Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare condition that affects around 200,000 Britons.
It can cause bones to fuse, sometimes causing the spine to curve forward, and can also result in back pain and stiffness, pain in other parts of the body, and fatigue.
Experts aren’t sure what exactly causes this, but they think it may be linked to a specific genetic variant known as HLA-B27.
There is no cure, but treatment usually involves exercise to reduce pain and stiffness, physical therapy, and pain relievers and anti-inflammatories.
Surgery may be necessary in rare cases where there are severe curvatures in the spine or significant damage to the joints.
Li began experiencing symptoms in her late teens, but was unable to get treatment because her poor family in rural China could not afford medical fees.
He had to rely on his elderly mother, Tang Dongchen, to take care of him.
She said: “I wasn’t going to give up on my son.
“I gave birth to him, so I had to do my best to find a way to make him better. Otherwise, when I die, who will take care of him?”
I haven’t slept on my back in over 20 years
Li Hua
He underwent surgery at Shenzhen University General Hospital in 2020, undergoing four procedures to break and rebuild his bones.
His surgeon, Dr Tao Hurien, described the operations as “climbing Mount Everest” and now Li has 20 pins in his neck and cannot move it.
But he can stand and has recovered a lot of body movement thanks to rehabilitation after surgery.
He told Ergeng TV: “I’m very happy to be able to sleep lying down again. I hadn’t slept on my back in over 20 years.
“The first time I saw my mother after surgery, I suddenly realized how much she had aged while taking care of me all these years.
“She couldn’t take care of me forever, so I wanted to cure this illness and reduce her burden.
“For me, Professor Tao is my savior. There would be no healing for me without him.”
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What is ankylosing spondylitis?
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a long-term condition in which the spine and other areas of the body become inflamed.
AS tends to develop first in teenagers and young adults.
It is twice as common in men than in women, according to the National Health Service.
Symptoms of AS can vary, but generally involve:
- back pain and stiffness
- pain and swelling in other parts of the body – caused by joint inflammation (arthritis) and inflammation where a tendon attaches to a bone (enthesitis)
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
These symptoms tend to develop gradually, usually over several months or years, and may come and go over time.
In some people the condition improves over time, but in others it may slowly worsen.
There is no cure for AS and it is not possible to reverse the damage caused by the disease.
However, treatment is available to alleviate symptoms and help prevent or slow their progression.
Sometimes surgery is needed to repair significantly damaged joints or correct severe curvatures in the spine.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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