Innovative Wheelchair for Dedicated Doctor

American orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Ted Rummel, was suddenly paralysed from the waist down when a cyst burst in his spine.  His disability meant that returning to work looked dubious for the successful surgeon, but after a year of arduous rehabilitation and support from his family, he has now returned to the operating theatre in a special wheelchair.

Ted was diagnosed with a hemangioma, a blood-filled cyst, in his spinal chord in 2010 after suffering back pain.  Neurologists advised that removing the cyst would result in paralysis for Ted and suggested he cut back on strenuous activity to try and prevent it from bursting.  Unfortunately, 11 months after diagnosis it ruptured, leaving Ted paralysed from the waist down.

Bouncing Back

After a year of recovery, hard work and rehabilitation, Ted initially returned to work using a standard wheelchair, but he soon found that sitting down to operate restricted what he could do.

Before his spinal injury Ted’s specialism was shoulder surgery, which requires the patient to be in a sitting position.  He soon found out that he couldn’t reach to perform this procedure from his wheelchair.  Ted’s determination to perform surgery as he did before his disability led him to discover a special wheelchair that keeps him in an upright position.  His customised standing wheelchair fastens with a seat belt and chest strap to keep him static and the control panel on the back of the chair ensures the surgical area is kept sterile while Ted works.

Quality of Life

Being able to work as he did before his disability has meant a massive improvement in quality of life for Ted and his family.  Before discovering the stand up wheelchair Ted suffered from bouts of depression; he’s astounded at how much difference the chair has made: “Now I’m able to do what I love again and improve life for others.  It’s amazing I can get that piece of my life back. It’s huge.”