Qld surgeons operate on PNG girl to straighten her bowed legs

A rare kidney disease caused Bindesa Powaseu to develop bowed legs but after life-changing “guided growth” surgery in Queensland, she’s hopeful she’ll one day be able to dance like a ballerina and play basketball.

A rare kidney disease caused Bindisa Powaseu to develop bowed legs. An X-ray of her legs before recent surgery at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. The surgery will hopefully cause her legs to straighten over time.

A RARE kidney disease caused Bindisa Powaseu to develop bowed legs but after life-changing “guided growth” surgery in Queensland, she’s hopeful she’ll one day be able to dance like a ballerina and play basketball.

The 10-year-old from Papua New Guinea, known as Bindy, has spent most of her life in and out of hospital in Port Moresby after being born with distal renal tubular acidosis, which affected her bone development.

Without the hour-long surgery, unavailable in PNG, she could have ended up in a wheelchair.

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Bindy and her Mum, Betty Terry, flew to Brisbane earlier this year, paid for by a fundraising campaign in Papua New Guinea and Australia, for an operation on her legs at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Bindisa Powaseu, 10, with her Mum Betty Terry. Bindisa, known as Bindy, was born with a rare kidney condition that affected her bone development. She’s had surgery at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, which will hopefully result in her legs straightening over time. Picture: Claudia Baxter

Orthopaedic surgeon David Bade attached four “mecano-set” like metal plates on the outside of her femur and tibia bones in minimally-invasive surgery designed to straighten her legs as she grows.

“You put them over her growth plates so they slow the growth of the outside of her legs and allows the inside part of her legs to continue to grow and catch up,” Dr Bade explained.

“As Bindy grows, her legs will slowly straighten over time. In a perfect scenario, we would hope that in 12 months’ time, her legs are getting very close to straight.”

Bindy and her Mum are hopeful the surgery will allow her to do all the things “that a normal kid does in life”.

“I’m hoping she can go home and enjoy the things that she wants to do in her life like playing basketball, doing ballet,” Ms Terry said.

“She’s been looking forward to that. That is the spirit that has motivated her to have the surgery.”

A rare kidney disease caused Bindisa Powaseu to develop bowed legs. An X-ray of her legs before recent surgery at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. The surgery will hopefully cause her legs to straighten over time.

Bindy and her mother first came to Brisbane about 18 months ago for doctors to treat her renal disease. They have modified her medication during this visit.

While in Queensland, they have stayed with Margo Canavan, at McDowall, in Brisbane’s north, one of many supporters who have helped get “Princess Bindy” and her mother to Australia for the surgery.

“It’s not just one person who raises a child, it’s a global village,” Ms Canavan said. “I think the resilience of kids and their spirit is so important. Bindy just oozes: ‘I can do anything’.

“She’s just captivating.”

Bindisa Powaseu, 10, of Papua New Guinea was born with a rare kidney disease that affected her bone development. But she’s had surgery at the Queensland Children’s Hospital that hopefully will cause her legs to straighten over time. Picture: Claudia Baxter.

Dr Bade said Bindy’s surgery was only possible because of many people working together as a team.

“The orthopaedic outpatient team — the nurses and administrative staff — they’re the ones who ensured everything was organised so that I could come in at the end and perform the surgery,” he said.

“More work went on behind the scenes than in the operating theatre. I think she’s going to get a great result out of it.”