[Expats & Ailments] Kazakh Girl Receives Surgery for Bone Disease in Shanghai

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An 11-year-old Kazakh girl, who was misdiagnosed with bone cancer in her own country, received a proper diagnosis and treatment at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center.

The center ruled out bone cancer and successfully removed her leg lesions, implanted bone grafts, and corrected lower limb deformities, marking a cross-border rescue mission for the young patient.

[Expats & Ailments] Kazakh Girl Receives Surgery for Bone Disease in Shanghai

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: The 11-year-old Kazakh girl and her family pose with medical staff after successful surgery in Shanghai.

In April, the girl developed an unexplained mass on her right leg accompanied by limb deformity and limping. Local hospitals strongly suspected malignant femoral osteosarcoma, a kind of bone cancer, and recommended amputation, plunging her family into despair. In pursuit of other options, the family traveled to Shanghai.

Dr Gao Yijin, chief of the oncology department at the center, conducted a primary evaluation and noticed differences between her symptoms and typical osteosarcoma cases. She also reassured the family that modern therapies for osteosarcoma no longer required amputation, easing their anxiety.

After comprehensive imaging scans and precise pathological biopsy, doctors confirmed the girl suffered from a rare benign lesion, eliminating the risk of malignant cancer.

Though non-cancerous, the mass had triggered severe deformity in the knee. Left untreated, the condition would permanently impact her leg appearance and impair her walking ability. Orthopedic specialists designed a one-stop surgical plan: removing abnormal lesions, repairing damaged bone with grafts, and placing implants to correct knee deformity in a single operation.

The surgery was completed successfully on April 27, addressing both lesion removal and deformity correction to safeguard the girl's long-term quality of life. She has recovered steadily with greatly improved leg shape and mobility and is set to be discharged soon and return to Kazakhstan for follow-up rehabilitation, the hospital said.