A 20-year-old patient arrived at the International Medical Center after a serious traffic accident, which led to multiple fractures of the cervical vertebrae, severe weakness of the lower and upper extremities, and a decrease of sensory functions in the body from the neck down, leading him to suffer from paralysis in all his limbs.

After the examinations and conducting the necessary x-rays, CT scans and MRIs; The diagnosis indicated the presence of severe fractures and fragmentations in the fifth, sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, multi ligamentous injuries with compression on the spinal cord. After studying the case, an integrated and rapid treatment plan was put in place to achieve two goals.

The first being to stabilize the neck fractures, and the second to decompress the spinal cord which causing the paralysis, which necessitated for two consecutive precise operations.

The first operation was from the front of the neck, in which parts of the fifth, sixth and seventh vertebrae and the cartilage between the vertebrae were removed, in order to decompress the tension on the spinal cord and relieve it, whilst supporting the cervical vertebrae with plates, screws and front cages. As for the second operation, it was performed on the day following the first operation.

The cervical vertebrae were targeted from the back in order to decompress the remaining compression on the spinal cord, stabilize and reinforce the cervical vertebrae from the back.

Such severe and complex injuries require an integrated team, whose members in this delicate specialty have great experience in dealing with such cases, in addition to experts in anesthesia, with ultimate care and continuous follow-ups on the vital and neurological functions of the patient. Also, what made the treatment possible is the availability of all devices and equipment necessary to carry out the medical plan; From x-rays, CT scans, MRI, and devices to monitor neurological functions during the operation. After conducting both operations, the patient stayed at the IMC for some time to follow up his condition.

The day following the operations, a significant improvement was observed in restoring a large portion of the motor functions in the lower and upper extremities, and another great improvement was observed two weeks later with the patient regaining motor functions he had lost after the accident.

The patient remained in a state of continuous improvement until after several months, by the grace of God Almighty, he regained most of his motor functions, including the ability to walk, jog and exercise in a normal manner.

t is noteworthy that the medical team that developed the treatment plan, performed the two surgeries and followed up the case until full recovery, by the grace of God Almighty, consisted of Dr. Farid Kassab, consultant orthopedic, spine surgery, Dr. Mohammed Awad, specialist orthopedic and spine surgeon, Dr. Khaled Jaber, specialist orthopedic and spine surgeon, Dr. Amir Amer, specialist orthopedic and spine surgeon, Dr. Ehab Elzayyat, specialist orthopedic and spine surgeon, Dr. Hossam Kanso, consultant anesthesiologist, Dr. Yasir Aldahshan, consultant anesthesiologist, in addition to the nursing team.