Medical Miracle: ‘Folded Man’ Whose Chin Touches Knees Finally Stands Up After 28 Years

Doctors of Shenzhen University General Hospital in China conducted numerous surgeries on a 'folded man' to help him stand with his two legs again.

Li Hua, 46 years old, had been going through a serious kind of ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis, also called Bechterew's disease is a state where large joints and the spine are being affected by inflammatory arthritis. Ankylosing means bone fusing that primarily causes reduced flexibility of the spine, causing difficulty to the individual suffering the disease to stand up or even make a move well.

The inflammation weakens the bones and the body, in response, yields additional calcium to grow more bone, which connects joints that are not meant to be connected.

According to Daily Mail, Li Hua's condition first rose when he was only 18 years old but his family could not afford the treatment, he needed at that time due to financial difficulties, worsening his condition over the years. In his condition, three parts of his body were joint that resulted in the fold, breastbone to the pubic bone, his chin and chest, and face to his thigh bone.

The mother of the 46-year-old patient is already 71 years old and was the one who took care of him for almost 28 years and tried multiple treatments but not one worked for Li Hua's situation.

Tao Huiren, the doctor taking care of Li Hua and his surgeries at Shenzhen Universal General Hospital. After analyzing the patient's condition, it took two weeks for the doctor to plan out his surgeries.

According to Dr. Tao Huiren, the surgery was non-negotiable because Li's current situation could endanger his life that could possibly lead to organ failures. The doctor described Li's surgery as compared to going up the Mount Everest.

Li went through four massive surgeries that included disintegrating his existing deformed bones and rebuilding them to help him stand up and support his posture. The surgeries involved the pretty high risk that it could make him paraplegic, experience extreme blood loss that could result in undergoing hemorrhagic shock, and even die in the middle of the surgery.

Ahe first surgery was Femoral Osteotomy, which took three hours and included disintegrating and reconstructing the 46-year-old patient's thigh bones that increased the space between his face and thigh.

The second surgery conducted was Cervical Osteotomy which lasted for six hours. This involved disintegrating and reconstructing Li's cervical spine that helped him lift his head.

The third surgery Li went through was Lumbar Spine Osteotomy where his lumbar spine was broken and reconstructed to help him stand up on his own legs. Doctors from the fields of orthopedics, anesthesiology, and experts in infectious diseases were involved. The surgery lasted for about 10 hours, after almost 20 years Li could lay on his back for good.

The final surgery Li went through that lasted for seven hours was a replacement of the hip joint to help him stand up and to walk on his feet without needing support, India Times reported.

With Li surviving the multiple surgeries, the next step was a rehabilitation that included physiotherapy. For nearly 28 years of his situation, his muscles contracted seriously and physiotherapy was significant to bring him back to normal.

After being away from his home and going through multiple treatments at the hospital, after almost a year, Li Hua was ultimately ready to conquer the world on his two legs.