Folding Man Li Hua, 46 Can Finally Stand Straight After Life-Changing Surgery to fix his hunched back which left his face pressed against his thighs for two decades
Culled From Daily Mail
‘Folding man’ can finally stand straight after life-changing surgery to fix his hunched back which left his face pressed against his thighs for two decades
- Li Hua, 46, was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at the young age of 18
- He didn’t have the money to be treated and was struggling to eat or drink
- Professor Tao Huiren had treated other ‘folding’ patients and was able to help
- A team at Shenzhen University General Hospital operated on Mr Hua four times
A patient dubbed the ‘folding man’ can finally stand straight again after life-changing surgery to fix his hunched back.
Li Hua, of China’s Hunan Province, has reportedly lived with his face pressed against his thighs for two decades, according to local reports.
The 46-year-old was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in 1991 at the age of 18, Chinese media claims.
The Surgery
- After a series of high-risk operations this year, he has been able to stand completely straight for the first time in 28 years.
- Doctors who treated Mr Hua – who struggled to eat or drink before his operation –hope he will able to walk without aid in the next three months.
- Mr Hua’s condition worsened in the past five years. He measured only 90cm (2.9ft) in height because of his severely curved spine.
- In May this year, Mr Hua’s family came across Professor Tao Huiren, head of spinal surgery and orthopaedics at Shenzhen University General Hospital.
- Professor Huiren had treated other ‘folding’ patients with similar spinal conditions – but none whose case was so severe, reports said.
After Surgery
- Mr Hua said: ‘There would’ve been no cure for me without Dr Tao. He’s my saviour, and my gratitude to him is second only to my mother.’
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rare type of arthritis believed to be caused by a faulty gene. Inflammation in the spine makes the back, rib cage and neck stiff and painful.
- The inflammation causes bone to wear away, and in response, the body produces extra calcium to grow more bone, sometimes in the wrong places.
Previous Surgery Scare
What Condition Does The ‘Folding Man’ Have?
