“Good” was the adjective used by four-year-old Stefon Bradford, when asked how heA brave Stefon Bradford takes a break from playing a game to have his photo taken. (Inset) Stefon’s back before the surgery .was feeling yesterday.? At the time he was sitting on a bed in the recovery area of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s Paediatric Unit playing a game of ‘trucks’ on his iPad.He had only days earlier undergone a crucial surgery to fix what appeared as a growing bulge in his lower back. It was a surgical operation of very technical proportions and quite possibly the first conducted at the GPHC.Spearheading the operation was Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, Neurosurgeon attached to the GPHC for the past one and half years. The Cuba-trained Dr. Dukhi, who is the Head of Neurosurgery, explained that the bulge in Bradford’s lower back was in fact a neural tube defect, a condition he was born with. Neural tube defects are essentially birth defects of the brain,Custom Bayern Munich Jerseys, spine or spinal cord that should ideally be fixed within the first six months of an infant’s life.Experts have deduced that this condition occurs during the first month of pregnancy and even before a woman is aware she is with child.In Bradford’s case his spinal cord was exposed at the lower back, Dr. Dukhi explained, as he disclosed that the child was awaiting surgery since birth. “He was referred overseas for specialist treatment but unfortunately that didn’t happen because of finances,” Dr. Dukhi told media operatives yesterday.But with Dr. Dukhi’s specialist training, the four-year-old had started to receive needful attention at the GPHC’s neurosurgical clinic about six months ago. Measures were soon being put in place to actually conduct surgery.Neursurgeon Amarnauth Dukhi (extreme right) in the company of his support team.The medical term of Bradford’s condition is myelomeningocele, and according to Dr. Dukhi, fixing it meant placing a shunt (a hole or small passage which moves or allows movement of fluid from one part of the body to another) into his head that drained into his belly.Outlining the intricacy of the operation,Custom Juventus Jerseys, Dr. Dukhi said that the operation is one that saw some parts of the nerves of the spinal cord being exposed. Essentially the task was to repair the spinal cord by creating a new spinal canal to fit the exposed nerves before closing and reconstructing the back.Dr. Duhki heads a department that includes five doctors including Dr. Anna Singh, Dr. Asif Subhan, Yuli Permansingh, Dr. Jarrel Watson and Dr. Herlan Sanchez. The recent surgery saw Dr. Dukhi being supported by Doctors Subhan, Permanasingh and Watson.Describing the surgery as a major one that lasted for about five hours, Dr. Dukhi disclosed, “We were able to reconstruct the spinal cord. We were able to close the defect and we were able to give him a normal looking lower back.”Bradford, according to the neurosurgeon, is recovering so well that he has even started to walk. “He has no major neurological deficit,Manchester United Jerseys, except that he cannot control his urine as yet, and we are looking for some improvement on that,Anthony Martial Jersey,” said Dr. Dukhi,Andrea Barzagli Jersey, as he revealed plans to have the child discharged sometime today.“We have come a long way from when we started. We are still lacking a lot of instruments and resources to be able to do (more of) these types of surgeries,” said Dr. Dukhi, who also disclosed that “all neurosurgical procedures are procedures that are very technical and quite very expensive.”According to Bradford’s grandmother, Ms. Sandra Seymour, she is hopeful that with the completion of the procedure,Arturo Vidal Jersey, her grandson will be able to attend school as soon as September.She revealed that while he was registered he was never able to attend school, because of his condition.When asked what he would do when he starts school,Bayern Munich Jerseys, the smiling four-year-old quickly answered “write my name.” And according to him, he has already started practising.