The Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology service at Parc Taulí is recognized in Catalonia and throughout Spain for its excellence and quality of care. In this sense, the hospital is a reference center in the care of patients with polytrauma.
The Uniate of Raquis, from the Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology service, specializes in traumatic spine surgery. For the past month, this unit has been has been officially organized to provide 24/365 care for acute traumatic spinal cord injuries, such as paraplegia or tetraplegia caused by vertebral fractures.
Spinal cord injury is an injury to the spinal cord, which is part of the central nervous system through which the brain sends movement commands. When a spinal cord injury occurs, this nerve connection is interrupted or altered. In other words, this injury can cause paralysis of voluntary mobility and the absence of all sensation below the affected area. “This injury is catastrophic for the people who suffer it. If we reduce the pressure on the spinal cord and stabilize the spine, in the hours following the accident, the patient's recovery is better and we reduce additional damage, such as neurological, respiratory, etc.”, explains Dr. Raul Pellejero, head of section of the Spine Unit.
Now, the Spine Unit formed by Dr. Raul Pellejero, Dr. Neus Anglada, Dr. Rosa Abad, Dr. Àlex Grau and Dr. Ivet Parés, have a request to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Parc Taulí treats around 30 emergencies for acute compressive spinal cord injuries per year. The majority of spinal cord injuries occur in the context of work, traffic or sports accidents and, in many cases, are accompanied by other traumatic surgical injuries in other locations. For this reason, the polytrauma and spinal cord injury patient protocol is usually activated, to set everything in motion and provide specialized and multidisciplinary care involving the anesthesia service, intensive medicine; orthopedic surgery and traumatology; general surgery; hematology and hemotherapy, radiology, nursing, TCAI and pharmacy.
The Spine Unit very positively values this step forward in recognizing their work and dedication, “We are consolidating ourselves as a reference unit in the care of these patients. We are one of the few healthcare centers that have on-call shifts and are active 365 days a year to treat acute spinal cord injuries.”, points out Dr. Pellejero.
After the operation, the Rehabilitation service assesses the patient on the floor and initiates the most appropriate treatment for that person.
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