A young boy with spina bifida from Chaozhou has successfully undergone rehabilitation in our hospital, establishing a positive reputation for the Xiao procedure

Peipei, a 10-year-old boy from a county in Chaozhou, was born with a round lump about 1.5cm in diameter at the base of his spine, which gradually grew to the size of a grape. On October 4, 2006, he was examined and treated at a local hospital, where an MRI showed tethered spinal cord syndrome, leading to the removal of the tumor. However, as Peipei grew, he continued to experience urinary and fecal incontinence, unlike other children who could control their bladder and bowel movements.

On June 15, 2011, Peipei was brought to a renowned university-affiliated hospital in Beijing. After examination, he was diagnosed with thickened and adherent spinal membranes, syringomyelia, and arachnoid cysts. He underwent three surgeries: detethering of the spinal cord, shunting for the syrinx, and repair of the dura mater. Although there was slight improvement in the muscle strength of his lower limbs after the surgery, there was no improvement in his incontinence, which greatly worried his parents.

Despite knowing about Professor Xiao Chuan-Guo and his invention, the Xiao procedure, from their previous search for treatment, Peipei’s parents were initially very skeptical and resistant due to negative reports online attacking the procedure. Watching their child grow older but still dependent on diapers, and beginning to walk with a limp due to spinal nerve damage, they decided to visit Xiao Chuan-Guo Hospital in Shenzhen to learn more about their options.

On February 25, 2016, accompanied by his parents, Peipei visited Xiao Chuan-Guo Hospital. Meeting Professor Xiao Chuan-Guo eased most of their concerns as they found him to be kind and compassionate, with a logical mind and warm demeanor that reflected the qualities of a skilled and ethical doctor.

Professor Xiao examined Peipei, who had undergone two previous surgeries and had a horizontal scar about 8cm long on his lumbosacral region, a relaxed anal sphincter, 4+ level muscle strength in his lower limbs, a limp in his walk, and a scar on his right heel. An MRI showed a low-lying conus medullaris and a thickened filum terminale. The diagnosis was neurogenic bladder, tethered spinal cord syndrome, post-myelomeningocele repair, congenital spina bifida, and syringomyelia. On February 29, Professor Xiao performed a set of surgeries on Peipei: spinal canal expansion and decompression, adhesion release of the tethered spinal cord, and the Xiao procedure. The surgeries went very smoothly. Peipei’s recovery was excellent, with significant improvement in his limp and hopeful recovery from incontinence.

Professor Xiao mentioned that Peipei was fortunate to have come in time. At this stage, he was just beginning to develop pes cavus, which was completely corrected by the surgery. If he had grown older, the deformities in his lower limbs would have become more severe, necessitating additional orthopedic surgeries to correct the deformities, which would have meant more suffering and a longer recovery time for the child.