M4PNews|Delhi
• The infant had a blood clot in brain that caused a seizure on 19th day of birth
• The baby boy was one among twins born premature to a Faridabad couple
• He has become the lowest-weighing baby ever to undergo a brain surgery (craniotomy) in India
• Sarvodaya Hospital has applied for Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book of World Records to recognize this surgical feat
Surgeons at Faridabad-based, 300-bed Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre have successfully conducted brain surgery on a 20-day-old baby boy weighing only 1.1160 kg. This is the first time in India that neurosurgery of such a low-weighing baby has been done by opening the skull and removing a life-threatening blood clot from the brain which caused a seizure in the neonate. The condition would have proved fatal had it not been treated promptly. Sarvodaya Hospital has applied for Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book of World Records to recognize this unheard-of surgical feat.
The premature baby was one among twins born preterm at 33 weeks to parents Deevakar Jha and Deepa Mishra. The baby, who cried late after birth, was referred to Sarvodaya Hospital for respiratory distress and perinatal asphyxia, where a team of surgeons led by Dr. Pankaj Dawar and Dr. Mukesh Pandey took the child under their supervision.
Explaining the case, Dr. Pankaj Dawar, Senior Consultant, Centre for Brain & Spine, Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre, said: “At birth, the baby weighed 1160 kg, but had perinatal asphyxia and respiratory distress thereafter and was immediately admitted to Sarvodaya Hospital. He was put on ventilator for five days. On the 19th day of his birth, the baby suffered from seizure. A MRI scan revealed a large intracranial blood clot inside the skull, probably from bleeding disorder . On Day 19 of his birth and weighing only 1.160 kg, he was wheeled into the operation theatre for brain surgery. His skull was opened to expose her brain (mini-craniotomy) and the blood clot (hematoma) was successfully removed. With this, he has become the baby with the lowest weight to ever undergo brain surgery in India and probably in the world.”
Added Dr Manish Pahuja , Consultant, Department of Anaesthesia, Sarvodaya Hospital and Research Centre: “Brain surgery of a baby of such low weight has not been done before in the country. This requires very careful consideration and specialized equipment for anaesthesia. As per Dr Sushil Singla, senior consultant and HOD, Department of Paediatrics, Sarvodaya Hospital and Research Centre “presence of a blood clot in the brain of a baby of such age and low weight posed a huge challenge for us. If untreated, the condition would have proved fatal. Even if the baby had survived, he would have suffered from neural problems and the brain would not have developed
fully. After successful brain surgery and removal of the blood clot, the baby is perfectly fine. He is gaining weight and meeting all neural milestones adequately at last follow up visit.”
Said the baby’s father Deevakar Jha: “We thank the doctors of Sarvodaya Hospital from the bottom of our heart for saving the life of our child and conducting successful brain surgery when He was just a few days old. We had almost lost hope, but our son has been given a fresh lease of life and we look forward to bringing him up with all the care and in the best manner possible.”