Bala undergoes tracheotomy; condition unchanged

Doctors at the G B Pant hospital today conducted the life saving tracheotomy procedure on Raj Bala, who is undergoing treatment for spine injuries she suffered during police action against the supporters of yoga guru Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan.

Doctors at the G B Pant hospital on Monday conducted the life saving tracheotomy procedure on Raj Bala, who is undergoing treatment for spine injuries she suffered during police action against the supporters of yoga guru Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan.

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Doctors, attending to the 51 year old Gurgaon resident at the Neurosurgery Department ICU of the hospital in New Delhi, said, "Her condition remains the same as before. She is very critical and her vital parameters are being maintained with increased pharmacological support."

Tracheotomy has been performed for providing prolonged ventilatory support, they said. Tracheotomy is a surgical procedure to create an opening through the neck into the trachea (windpipe). A tube is usually placed through this opening to provide an airway and to remove secretions from the lungs. This tube is called a tracheotomy tube or trach tube. The tube is changed regularly to avoid infection.

Bala had undergone surgery on June 5 for cervical spinal injuries. Doctors had done decompression and fixation using plate, screw and cage.

Meanwhile, doctors on Monday removed her stitches and found her surgical wounds clean and healthy. They also said that there is no major fluctuation in her blood pressure and heart rate.

Currently, she is on the ventilator, he said. Doctors also said that her neurological status remains unchanged and she is quadriplegic (paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human).