Bandar Seri Begawan - Timely diagnosis and management are the key to addressing Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis as well as the impact and psychological trauma it can cause.

This is according to Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, who spoke at the launch of the Inaugural AO Spine - Brunei Scoliosis Workshop at RIPAS Hospital yesterday.

Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. The main symptom is a sideward bending of the spine, which gives cosmetic problems resulting in psychological trauma, and although milder curves can be managed with bracing, larger curves require surgery.

"Scoliosis can affect any age group," said the minister. "However, the most common is the Adolescent Idiopathic variety. In Brunei we also find a similar trend. The incidence of scoliosis in our country is no different from the prevalence worldwide.

"Most of the work and research in scoliosis all over the world is centred over the Adolescent Idiopathic variety. Hence, I feel you may benefit very much from this workshop which is focusing mainly on the Adolescent Idiopathic variety."

"As you are well aware, Adolescent Idiopathy Scoliosis affects young children. Even though the prevalence is not very high in the general population, the impact it causes could be enormous. Timely diagnosis and management is the key to addressing this problem," he added. "As a result of media coverage in the past, more and more people are now aware of this malady, and this is reflected by the increasing number of cases diagnosed recently.

"As you may be aware, six patients have been operated on in the preceding week."

The Minister later spoke of how scoliosis surgeries were, traditionally, not done routinely in Brunei with patients getting referred overseas for surgery, causing much inconvenience to the patients and their families as well extra burden on the ministry's finances.

However, speaking of how the Ministry of Health had come into an agreement with AO Spine International nearly two years ago, he said, "Over the last two years, the AO Spine sends one of their surgeons to Brunei to operate on the patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. At RIPAS Hospital, these surgeries are routinely done twice a year now and so far we have had 25 patients operated.

"The Department of Neurosurgery coordinates the surgeries and does the pre-operative work up and post-operative care," he added.

"I am pleased to say that all the patients are doing extremely well."

The Minister also said that many workshops have also been conducted in various disciplines of medicine as part of the Ministry of Health's commitment towards providing excellent medical care along with continued medical education.

"The International Scohosis Workshop that we have in this week is an example of pursuing that aim," he said.

The workshop aims at providing a platform for participating surgeons to enhance their knowledge and experience as well as to refine their skills in the treatment of scoliosis.

Spread over seven days until November 15, the workshop covers live surgeries, case discussions, lectures, pre-operative planning, post-operative care and everything that spinal surgeons have to know in the management of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Following the Minister's speech was a presentation by Professor K Venugopal Menon, Consultant Spine Surgery at Lakeshore Hospital & Research Centre in Cochin, Kerala India.

In his presentation, the professor spoke about scoliosis and the workshop, for which he is the Educational Director.

Among those present at the launch were Dr Haroon Pillay, Chairperson of the AO Spine - Brunei Scoliosis Workshop, Deputy Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Haji Awang Hazair bin Haji Abdullah, and Permanent Secretary Dato Paduka Haji Abd Salam bin Abd Momin.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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