The young man whom his mother has been telling to ‘stand tall’ for years grew 5 centimeters in 3 hours.

Seventeen-year-old Burak Kahya, who has been receiving warnings from his mother to “stand straight” for a long time, was taken to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman at a private hospital with the belief that his condition could be treated with a corset. Bozduman determined that Kahya had kyphosis and that his hunchback had exceeded normal levels, proceeding with surgical intervention. After regaining his health and growing 5 cm post-surgery, 11th-grade student Kahya said, “The operation went very well, my self-confidence has returned. I am no longer afraid to go outside.”

After noticing a significant increase in her 17-year-old son Burak Kahya’s hunchback posture, his mother Ayşe Kahya made an appointment with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman from the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department of Memorial Antalya Hospital. Kahya underwent a 3-hour kyphosis surgery there, eliminating his hunchback and resulting in a 5 cm increase in height. Ayşe Kahya, who had always warned her son to stand upright since childhood, stated that they went to the hospital thinking he might just need a corset for what they believed was a temporary condition. She expressed that they learned about her son’s condition at the hospital, saying, “By chance, we met with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman. We learned that Burak did not have a temporary hunchback but kyphosis. Dr. Ömer explained that a plate would be placed, and we agreed. We came on August 22, and our surgery was on August 29. Burak is doing well now and is standing straight.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman stated, “The main purpose of our intervention is to prevent this curvature from worsening and to avoid a decrease in the capacity of internal organs and lungs.”

“Burak walked the day after the surgery”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman noted that Burak Kahya was brought in by his family due to complaints about posture issues, saying: “His mother expressed that he was constantly hunched over and needed to stand straight. While examining this posture issue, we found that his hunchback had worsened. From the necessary radiological and clinical evaluations, we anticipated that this was progressing under the indication for surgery and would eventually cause a decrease in the child’s lung capacity and effort capacity. Indeed, the patient had a reduced effort capacity. We recommended surgery. In our operation, we corrected this curvature as much as possible with a screw-rod system known as posterior instrumentation. Burak was able to get up and walk the day after the surgery.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman continued, stating that every person has an anatomical hunchback: “We call this kyphosis, not hunchback. This degree is approximately between 35 and 55 degrees. In small children with a range of 55 to 70 degrees, we recommend corsets and physical therapy, while in adults, we suggest physical therapy without corsets. However, when it exceeds 70, 72, or 75 degrees, especially in cases with significant progression, there is an indication for surgical intervention. The main purpose of our intervention is to prevent this curvature from worsening and to avoid a decrease in the capacity of internal organs and lungs.”

“We generally perform surgery on organic groups caused by tumors or trauma”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman also mentioned that families most frequently bring their children with complaints of posture issues, stating, “The most common reason for outpatient visits is, ‘The child plays too much on the phone and leans forward.’ In health, there is an organic problem causing this type of posture disorder. The most common we observe are conditions like Scheuermann’s kyphosis, which is a wedging of the vertebrae, or ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatological diseases, or organic groups that develop due to infections, tumors, or trauma, which we generally perform surgery on. In cases without an organic cause, where the child only has a posture disorder, we use treatment methods such as physical therapy or corsets. We generally recommend corsets in these groups known as Scheuermann, especially during the growth period. We definitely add physical therapy exercises and follow up. However, in patients who have completed their growth and have advanced curvature, a corset is insufficient. In cases of excessive progression of the hunchback, we recommend surgery since physical therapy does not provide much benefit.”

“We didn’t have any pictures of him”
Ayşe Kahya, the mother of Burak Kahya, who corrected his hunchback at the age of 17, shared: “I had noticed a slight hunch for 1-2 years, but I was constantly putting pressure on the child. I used to say, ‘Stand straight, my son,’ thinking he could stand straight but wasn’t. I came to the hospital thinking the doctor might suggest a corset for a solution. We learned that Burak did not have a temporary hunchback but kyphosis. Dr. Ömer explained that a plate would be placed, and we agreed. We arrived on August 22, and our surgery was on August 29. Burak is good now; he stands straight. Our doctor has surpassed my height. His condition was pressing on his lungs, causing him to have a lot of absences from school. After the surgery, we overcame this situation. Thanks to the operation, his lungs are relieved; Burak never liked taking pictures because he was always hunched over. We had no pictures of him. My son regained his self-confidence. After the operation, he grew 5 cm; he was 172 cm and is now 177 cm.”

“I am no longer afraid to go outside”
Burak Kahya expressed his gratitude to his doctor for the successful operation, saying, “The surgery went very well, and my self-confidence has returned. They always told me to stand straight, which was difficult for me. I am no longer afraid to go outside; I love taking pictures.”