SGH Team Helps Teen Walk Straight on Her 17th Birthday

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has successfully managed the case of Sririta Phikun, 17, who suffered from severe congenital scoliosis. A team of surgeons performed three operations to correct the teenager's spinal curvature, enabling her to walk straight for the first time on her 17th birthday.

Sririta was born with a spine curved 110 degrees sideways, making it impossible for her to stand upright. She had previously undergone a procedure at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) to manage her growth, but the condition remained challenging.

"Sririta's case was one of the most complex we have encountered, and the risks were significant. But her courage and determination never wavered," said Associate Professor Reuben Soh, Senior Consultant at SGH's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The correction required a multidisciplinary approach, involving orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, and neurosurgeons.

The treatment began in August 2025 with halo-gravity traction, a 16-week procedure to gradually stretch the spine. This was followed by a second surgery to address a lipomeningocele, a fatty growth on the spinal cord. The final, critical surgery took place on Sririta's 17th birthday, May 19, 2026. It involved removing a vertebral body to allow the spine to be repositioned straighter, followed by the insertion of metal rods and anchors to stabilize it.

After a five-month recovery and rehabilitation period, Sririta was finally able to walk straight. The surgeries resulted in a total blood loss of four liters, with most being recovered and returned to the patient through intraoperative cell salvage.