Boy has pioneering surgery to correct his C-shaped spine

Boy, nine, is the first in the world to have pioneering surgery to correct his C-shaped spine that was squashing his lungs and left him barely able to walk

• Connor Demetriou’s backbone was bent to a staggering 96°
• He underwent an eight-hour ‘double trolley’ operation last January
• Involves inserting six expanding rods parallel to the patient’s spine
• Realigns the curve and allows the rods to grow with the child as they get older
• The curvature of his spine has reduced to 46°, allowing him a ‘normal’ life

A nine-year-old boy has become the first person in the world to undergo revolutionary surgery to correct his C-shaped spine.

Connor Demetriou’s backbone was bent to a staggering 96°, which was squashing one of his lungs and left him struggling to walk.

The youngster, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, underwent an eight-hour ‘double trolley’ operation last January after doctors became concerned his condition, known as scoliosis, would cause him to die young. 

Trolley surgery involves inserting six expanding rods parallel to the spine. This realigns the curve and allows the rods to grow with the child as they get older.

Nine months on, the procedure has reduced the curvature of his spine to 46°, allowing Connor to run, jump and swim until he undergoes a second operation in his teens.

Nine-year-old Connor Demetriou was the first person in the world to undergo revolutionary surgery to correct his C-shaped spine. Pictured after the procedure with his mother Michaela , 38, Connor had six expanding rods fitted parallel to his backbone to realign his 96° curve 

Before the surgery, Connor’s spine was squashing one of his lungs and made it difficult to walk. Doctors were concerned he would die young unless he had the revolutionary procedure 

The operation has reduced the curvature of his spine to 46°, as seen in the X-ray taken after the surgery. This has allowed Connor to live a ‘normal’ life where he can run, jump and swim

Connor was initially scheduled to undergo ‘single’ trolley surgery, which involves inserting just four rods into a patient’s spine.

However, his consultant surgeon decided to perform a ‘double trolley’ procedure at the last minute. 

Connor’s mother Michaela Demetriou, 38, said: ‘Connor has a double trolley growing rod system because his curvature was bigger, by the time he got to surgery it leapt up to 96°.

‘We didn’t know about it until after he had it done, that’s when we were told he is the first in the world to have a double trolley growing system put in.’

Since Connor’s revolutionary procedure, which he had when he was just eight years old, 19 other children at three hospitals have undergone the same operation.

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Connor was born a healthy baby but ‘out of the blue’, he started to show signs of scoliosis. 

The condition was first spotted by his father, Marios Demetriou, who noticed his son could not stand straight while he was bathing him.

The youngster was referred to a specialist and diagnosed with curvature of the spine at just three years old.

Connor was then in and out of hospital every six months before he was eventually put forward for the surgery at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Speaking of his condition, his mother said: ‘Before surgery, because his scoliosis was squashing his lungs, we did notice some breathing issues, he would get colds often and his stamina wasn’t there.

‘I would say from him being 70° it started to affect him quite a lot, he was on medication every day at school.

‘If they didn’t intervene by the time he got to 30-years-old he would end up having heart and breathing issues, and a lower life expectancy.’

Speaking of the surgery, the childminder added: ‘This was not only to improve the quality of his life but also to save his life.

‘They have placed six-to-eight rods that go along the spine and 20 large screws.

‘Wraps have been developed and they basically go along the spine rather than sitting on top of it.

‘The rods grow with the child’s spine rather than having to go and have it mechanically lengthened.’

Pictured two weeks after the eight-hour operation, Connor’s back was noticeably straighter

X-ray taken after the surgery. The rods in Connor’s back will grow with him to realign his spine. He will not require a second surgery on his back until he is a teenager

Pictured in the recovery room after the surgery. Connor was just eight years old at the time

Describing the moment he walked for the first time post-surgery, Connor said: ‘[My back] felt very heavy.

‘It felt like I was carrying half a brick on my back.

‘It felt quite painful trying to sit up for the first time and getting to stand up but when I first did it, I felt proud of myself and wanted to do it again and again.

‘I feel like I have a normal back now, it doesn’t feel bad anymore.’

The youngster has been taking part in charity ‘mud runs’, despite being advised not to participate in contact sports for up to a year after surgery.

‘I had to get the doctor’s permission to do a bit of contact sport,’ he said.

‘I have done three or four mud runs for charity. It felt like the right thing to do.’ 

Connor, pictured the first time he stood up four days after the surgery, said it initially felt heavy and painful like he was carrying ‘half a brick’ on his back. The determined youngster kept trying and felt proud of his perseverance. ‘It doesn’t feel bad anymore,’ he said.

Pictured after the surgery, he was told to avoid contact sports for a year. But doctors then gave him permission to take part in charity ‘mud runs’. ‘It felt like the right thing to do,’ Connor said

Trolley surgery is based on a concept developed by Professor Eduardo Luqu, from the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in Mexico City.

It helps to guide spinal growth along a given path.

‘He will have to have another surgery when he is a teenager,’ his mother said.

‘When he has another surgery it should bring the curvature right back down and then it will be fused.’

Speaking about the world-first surgery, Connor’s consultant spinal surgeon Mr Lee Breakwell said: ‘I was aiming to save his life in the long term and to help him live a normal, healthy life into middle-age, but to hear he’s enjoying his childhood is a bonus for me.

‘We’re constantly looking for ways to improve outcomes for our patients with scoliosis.

‘This innovative surgery is another in the long line of groundbreaking work we are doing for the children and families we care for.’

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