A 7-month-old baby from Nigeria got a new lease of life in Jaipur. The Baby Irfan (name changed) came with complaints of abnormal enlargement of the head and drooping eyes as he was suffering from a condition in which excess fluid accumulates in the cavities of the brain. The infant had already been treated in Nigeria but did not improve. Doctors in city performed the complicated procedure and created an alternate path within the brain that would help drain out the excess fluid.
“The infant was suffering from Hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the cavities (ventricles) of the brain thereby putting pressure on the brain,” Dr KK Bansal, Sr Consultant, Neuro-surgery at Narayana Hospital said. “The infant had already been treated in Nigeria using a shunt, a drainage tube surgically implanted in the brain that drains away the excess fluid to the abdomen where it can be absorbed. However, the surgery proved ineffective as the failure rate of regular shunting is very high especially amongst infants,” said Dr Bansal.
As per doctors, the excess fluid was putting harmful pressure on the brain, leading to impaired physical and mental development. A series of CT and MRI scans were conducted to identify the location of the blockade. Since the condition could prove fatal, an immediate surgery was needed.
A team of doctors performed Aqueduct Stent & endoscopic third ventriculostomy, a complex procedure of endoscopically creating a new pathway within the brain. “A small 1.5-inch hole was made on the floor of the brain, in the third ventricle, to allow the CSF to drain into the surface where it can be regularly absorbed. Also, since the risk of closure of this pathway is high, the same was also stented to ensure un-interrupted CSF drainage and success of the surgery,” said Dr Bansal.The surgery was supported by a team of pediatric anesthetists and looked after in the post-operative period by a specialized team of neonatologists and pediatric specialists. Within three days of the surgery, the size of the baby head significantly reduced, drooping of the eyes showed a notable improvement and the baby became playful and active. The baby is now in regular follow-up and is doing well.
“Such procedures are fairly complex given the age of the infant and rarely performed in Rajasthan. Advances in technology, as well as good diagnostic protocols along with a well-trained team of doctors, are helping us further pediatric neuro-surgery in Rajasthan,” said Dr. Mala Airun, Zonal Clinical Director, Narayana Hospital.
