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Urgent
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY FOR A 4-YEAR-OLD PEDIATRIC PATIENT WITH FLATFOOT DEFORMITY, MUSCLE AND JOINT CONTRACTURES, UNABLE TO WALK DUE TO CEREBRAL PALSY
Recently, Prof. MD. Dr. René D. Esser successfully performed an orthopedic surgery on a 4-year-old pediatric patient named T.L (from Binh Duong) who suffered from muscle and joint contractures in the hip, knee, and Achilles tendons on both sides, flat foot deformity, caused by congenital cerebral palsy. This condition has resulted in delayed mobility for the child, preventing the patient from walking since the age of 1 until the present time, despite normal physical and cognitive development.
As parents, everyone hopes their child will be healthy and able to walk like other children when they reach the appropriate age. However, this hope seemed distant for Mr. H.T.V and Ms. P.Q.M - the parents of T.L (4 years old). When they noticed signs of delayed mobility at 1 year old, the family took T.L to various medical facilities and engaged in physical therapy for 3 years, but there was still little progress.
T.L’s mother shared: “My child was born prematurely at 28 weeks, suffered from cerebral hypoxia, and was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, with damage to the lower limbs. When turned 1 year old, the baby began showing signs of delayed motor skills, rolling over slowly, and could not take his first steps, the family took the baby to Children’s Hospital for examination, where it was diagnosed as having contracture of Achilles tendons and needed physical therapy. After a year, the family brought the baby to the Rehabilitation Hospital for treatment. However, the doctors refused performing surgery because baby was still too young and continued to guide baby in physical therapy; fortunately, the baby has started to crawl. Recently, seeing that the baby still cannot walk like other children despite being 4 years old has made the family very worried and heartbroken. One time, they happened to see a post on the American International Hospital (AIH) Fanpage about Dr. Rene, and the family did not hesitate to schedule an appointment with him in hopes of repairing their child’s legs."
T.L’s mother shared: “My child was born prematurely at 28 weeks, suffered from cerebral hypoxia, and was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, with damage to the lower limbs. When turned 1 year old, the baby began showing signs of delayed motor skills, rolling over slowly, and could not take his first steps, the family took the baby to Children’s Hospital for examination, where it was diagnosed as having contracture of Achilles tendons and needed physical therapy. After a year, the family brought the baby to the Rehabilitation Hospital for treatment. However, the doctors refused performing surgery because baby was still too young and continued to guide baby in physical therapy; fortunately, the baby has started to crawl. Recently, seeing that the baby still cannot walk like other children despite being 4 years old has made the family very worried and heartbroken. One time, they happened to see a post on the American International Hospital (AIH) Fanpage about Dr. Rene, and the family did not hesitate to schedule an appointment with him in hopes of repairing their child’s legs.
T.L’s mother shared: “My child was born prematurely at 28 weeks, suffered from cerebral hypoxia, and was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, with damage to the lower limbs. When turned 1 year old, the baby began showing signs of delayed motor skills, rolling over slowly, and could not take his first steps, the family took the baby to Children’s Hospital for examination, where it was diagnosed as having contracture of Achilles tendons and needed physical therapy. After a year, the family brought the baby to the Rehabilitation Hospital for treatment. However, the doctors refused performing surgery because baby was still too young and continued to guide baby in physical therapy; fortunately, the baby has started to crawl. Recently, seeing that the baby still cannot walk like other children despite being 4 years old has made the family very worried and heartbroken. One time, they happened to see a post on the American International Hospital (AIH) Fanpage about Dr. Rene, and the family did not hesitate to schedule an appointment with him in hopes of repairing their child’s legs.

At AIH, baby T.L (4 years old) was directly examined and operated on by Prof. MD. Dr. René D. Esser. The baby was diagnosed with muscle contracture of hip joint, knee muscle contracture, and bilateral Achilles tendon contracture, severe right flatfoot deformity; and has a history of congenital cerebral palsy, making walking difficult. Dr. René performed a release surgery, lengthened the muscles and tendons on both sides, and corrected the right flatfoot deformity for the baby. 04 day after surgery, T.L was discharged from the hospital and was instructed to undergo physical therapy to improve joint mobility and increase muscle strength.
01 month after surgery, the cast had been removed completely, the treatment results showed that hip joint, knee joint, and feet can be straightened. Dr. Rene together with the baby in physical therapy making the baby learn to walk like any other child.
According to Prof. MD. Dr. René D. Esser, musculoskeletal deformities such as flat feet, contractures of hip joint, knee and ankle in children can slow down motor development by age and also restrict the physical growth of the child. Therefore, during a child’s development, especially at the walking age, parents should pay attention to early signs and have methods to address these conditions promptly. When musculoskeletal abnormalities in children are not treated early and properly, they can severely affect motor function and also impact the psychophysiological state of the child as they grow up. Some cases of musculoskeletal deformities in children can be corrected by physical therapy using massage and manipulation techniques. However, in particular cases, children may require surgical intervention for orthopedic correction to achieve results that enable them to walk, engage in activities, and develop normally.
Sharing after 1 month of surgery, the family of baby T.L expressed their emotions, saying: “Before the surgery, our family was very worried because our baby is still young. However, after being thoroughly consulted by Dr. Rene about the surgical method, we felt more at ease. Seeing our baby make significant progress after the surgery and during physical therapy, our family is very happy and grateful to the doctor for always being dedicated throughout the treatment process.”
Prof. MD. Dr. René D. Esser was formerly the head of the traumatology & orthopedics department at Stanford University (USA), Markgroeningen Hospital (Germany), and Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital (Samoa). In Vietnam, Prof. MD. Dr. René D. Esser is one of the few orthopedic surgeons capable of treating congenital deformities and severe trauma conditions, with specialized strengths:
Traumatology and orthopedic surgery
Sports medicine and surgery for related conditions
Joint replacement surgery: hip joint, knee joint, shoulder joint, elbow joint
Limb lengthening surgery and bone reconstruction surgery
Pediatric orthopedic surgery for congenital malformations
►To schedule an appointment for examination and treatment by Prof. MD. Dr. René D. Esser, please make an appointment online through the website https://aih.com.vn/doctor/esser-rene-daniel-dr or contact the hotline at (028) 3910 9999.
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