Prof. Zhang Jianguo’s orthopaedic specialist team from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) in Beijing recently visited Macau. Partnering with the medical team at the Macao Union Hospital, they successfully performed highly complex spinal deformity correction surgeries on two patients with severe scoliosis, the Macao Union Hospital said in a statement yesterday.
Scoliosis is a medical condition characterised by an abnormal lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine, most often forming an “S” or “C” shape.
The statement said that this marks a new milestone in Macau’s medical service capabilities in the fields of complex spinal deformity correction and high-risk surgical procedures.
The large-scale healthcare complex in south Cotai is officially known as Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (CMM-PUMCH). Informally, it is known as “Hip Woh” (“Harmony”). It is jointly operated by the internationally renowned Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing and the Macau government thanks to the Central People’s Government’s support.
“Islands” is the official term referring to Taipa, Coloane and Cotai.
The statement said that both patients presented with complex and severe deformities. The first was a 22-year-old female with adult idiopathic scoliosis featuring a spinal curvature angle as high as 60 degrees. Due to a lack of standardised treatment over a prolonged period, the scoliosis had caused noticeable lower back pain and affected her physical appearance, severely impacting her daily life. The second patient was a 16-year-old female with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, whose spinal curvature angle reached 50 degrees, accompanied by marked dorsal deformity and pain symptoms.
“Idiopathic” means “of unknown course”.
According to the statement, Prof. Zhang, the lead orthopaedic specialist from PUMCH, pointed out that a spinal curvature angle exceeding 40 degrees meets the criteria for surgery. In adult patients, because the skeleton is already fully mature, the scoliotic tissue becomes extremely rigid with poor flexibility. Unplanned or forced correction carries a high risk of overstretching the spinal cord nerves, which can lead to paralysis of the lower limbs. Furthermore, a larger curvature angle increases the risk of complications, making an experienced surgical team essential for corrective treatment.
The statement underlined that in terms of equipment and material support, the Macao Union Hospital strictly adhered to PUMCH’s clinical standards. Extremely thorough preparations were made for everything from implantable corrective screws and bone graft materials to orthopaedic instruments, haemostatic consumables, sutures, and dressings.
During the operations, the team utilised neurophysiological monitoring technology to track real-time changes in the patients’ spinal nerve signals. If any abnormal signal fluctuations occurred, the team could immediately identify the cause and make timely adjustments to avoid nerve damage, ensuring surgical precision and safety.
The statement said that both patients were able to get out of bed and walk on the day following their operations, making good progress. They were expected to be discharged within a week and be able to fully resume normal physical activities and sport after six months. The success of these surgeries relied not only on an experienced interdisciplinary medical team, but also on the seamless coordination and close synergy of medical resources between Macau and Beijing.
The statement underlined that the Macao Union Hospital will continue to leverage the brand and technical strengths of PUMCH to provide higher-quality, top-tier medical services for Macau residents and those from surrounding regions, fulfilling its vision of “ensuring serious illnesses are treated without leaving Macau”.
This undated handout photo released yesterday shows Professor Zhang Jianguo (left) from Peking Union Medical College Hospital performing a spinal deformity correction surgery at the Macao Union Hospital. – Photo: Macao Union Hospital.
