A young woman in Nebraska is the first woman to receive a first-ever knee surgery using a non-invasive device.
Kaitlin Saini, 22, of Fort Smith, had surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the Associated Press reports.
Saino was born without a spina bifida, meaning she doesn’t have one of the two bones on her right leg that make up the vertebral column.
Doctors had to create an artificial one using a needle and a scalpel.
She said she’s grateful for the treatment, and said it’s important to not only get the surgery, but also to get the results as soon as possible.
“I was very happy to have this procedure done and it’s really helped me through the process,” she told the AP.
“When it’s done properly, you can just feel the healing process.”
Sainu was diagnosed with spina Bifida in November 2014, and in April of this year she underwent surgery to fix the damaged vertebrae.
She has since been in a wheelchair, but is now doing fine.
“It was a pretty emotional day, but it was a very successful day for me,” she said.
Sainsi, who has been an orthopedics and spine specialist at the hospital since 2016, has received more than $50,000 in funding to date to treat the condition, according to her campaign website.
The orthopedists who helped Sainji complete the surgery have since retired.
