It is often said that Bengaluru is where technology meets life. For 37-year-old IT professional Suprita am, that saying became a reality in the most unexpected way.
Bedridden for months with quadriparesis, paralysis affecting all four limbs, Suprita’s world was shrinking fast. Doctors in the US warned her that surgery at the delicate skull-spine junction could leave her permanently paralysed or even dependent on ventilator support. “I felt like I was losing balance constantly, even while walking at home,” she recalled of her ordeal in mid-2024. Her husband, Kiran Amati, told TOI: “We were told a surgery could risk permanent paralysis, it was terrifying.”
Crushed by the bleak outlook, Suprita and Kiran packed their bags and flew to India. Over the next few months, they sought second opinions, tried homeopathy, Ayurveda and posture correction, but nothing worked. It was only in Bengaluru that they found what Silicon Valley could not offer: hope.
Doctors at Aster Whitefield Hospital diagnosed her with atlantoaxial dislocation, a rare condition where instability at the top of the spine compresses the spinal cord. The risk was enormous, one slip near the brainstem could have spelled disaster.
That was when the medical team turned to Bengaluru’s greatest strength: technology. Led by neurosurgeon Dr Satish Rudrappa and spine and deformity surgeon Dr Ramachandran G, the doctors used mixed reality (MR), a blend of augmented and virtual reality, to plan the high-risk operation.
Wearing MR headsets, they converted Suprita’s spine into a 3D hologram and rehearsed the surgery virtually, much like a pilot in a flight simulator. “It was like walking around her spine before we even touched it. It helped us identify the exact position of the arteries to operate on,” Dr Ramachandran told TOI. “Mixed reality enables us to anticipate complications we might face on the table and prepare for them.”
Dr Satish added: “Mixed reality also assisted the patient and her family to understand the condition. The innovative approach allowed for precise navigation and execution of surgery.”
Kiran agreed, saying: “They didn’t just explain the surgery; they showed us exactly where the compression was and how they planned to correct it. That gave us the confidence we needed.”
The surgery lasted five hours, involving careful repositioning of displaced bones to restore normal alignment. The next morning, Suprita was on her feet. Within 10 days, she walked back home. Today, she has returned to the US, where she has resumed swimming, cycling and even playing volleyball.
“The only thing doctors told me is to avoid rollercoasters,” she laughed.
From despair in America to recovery in Bengaluru, Suprita’s journey shows how technology, when placed in the right hands, can truly give life a second chance.
Inputs from TOI
Bedridden for months with quadriparesis, paralysis affecting all four limbs, Suprita’s world was shrinking fast. Doctors in the US warned her that surgery at the delicate skull-spine junction could leave her permanently paralysed or even dependent on ventilator support. “I felt like I was losing balance constantly, even while walking at home,” she recalled of her ordeal in mid-2024. Her husband, Kiran Amati, told TOI: “We were told a surgery could risk permanent paralysis, it was terrifying.”
Crushed by the bleak outlook, Suprita and Kiran packed their bags and flew to India. Over the next few months, they sought second opinions, tried homeopathy, Ayurveda and posture correction, but nothing worked. It was only in Bengaluru that they found what Silicon Valley could not offer: hope.
Doctors at Aster Whitefield Hospital diagnosed her with atlantoaxial dislocation, a rare condition where instability at the top of the spine compresses the spinal cord. The risk was enormous, one slip near the brainstem could have spelled disaster.
That was when the medical team turned to Bengaluru’s greatest strength: technology. Led by neurosurgeon Dr Satish Rudrappa and spine and deformity surgeon Dr Ramachandran G, the doctors used mixed reality (MR), a blend of augmented and virtual reality, to plan the high-risk operation.
Wearing MR headsets, they converted Suprita’s spine into a 3D hologram and rehearsed the surgery virtually, much like a pilot in a flight simulator. “It was like walking around her spine before we even touched it. It helped us identify the exact position of the arteries to operate on,” Dr Ramachandran told TOI. “Mixed reality enables us to anticipate complications we might face on the table and prepare for them.”
Dr Satish added: “Mixed reality also assisted the patient and her family to understand the condition. The innovative approach allowed for precise navigation and execution of surgery.”
Kiran agreed, saying: “They didn’t just explain the surgery; they showed us exactly where the compression was and how they planned to correct it. That gave us the confidence we needed.”
The surgery lasted five hours, involving careful repositioning of displaced bones to restore normal alignment. The next morning, Suprita was on her feet. Within 10 days, she walked back home. Today, she has returned to the US, where she has resumed swimming, cycling and even playing volleyball.
“The only thing doctors told me is to avoid rollercoasters,” she laughed.
From despair in America to recovery in Bengaluru, Suprita’s journey shows how technology, when placed in the right hands, can truly give life a second chance.
Inputs from TOI
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