In a rare case of paediatric neurosurgery, doctors at AIIMS have cured 13-month-old twins suffering from craniosynostosis, a disease that not many doctors in the country can diagnose.
The operation took place on March 27 at the neuro centre in the hospital. AIIMS is so far the only hospital that provides such kind of complex treatment for craniosynostosis.
Craniosynostosis is a condition where the early fusion of skull bones leads to restricted growth of the brain. “In this condition the anteroposterior (AP) diameter was high and the side-to-side distance of the skull was small. This deformity is known as scaphocephaly and usually creates high pressure in the brain. If not treated, this can stop the brain from developing and also lead to loss of eyesight,” said Dr Deepak Gupta, a neurosurgeon.
The surgery was a challenging one because of the blood group of the twins, said neuro anaesthesiologist Dr Arvind Chaturvedi. “The blood group of the twins was AB negative which is a very rare type and not easily available. We had to make sure that there was limited blood loss and at this age with this kind of a surgery that is difficult to control,” he said.
However, there were no complications during the surgery. “Even after the surgery both the kids were normal and responded very well to treatment,” Gupta added.
The two twins — both boys Adhinath and Adhrinath — hailed from Allepy district in Kerala. Father of the twins, Binu Monpr was thrilled at the accomplishment of the surgery. “We were in a dilemma when the doctor told us that the surgery needs to be done. But if we wanted to save our kids, we had to take this call and we are glad we did. Both the boys are much more cheerful now and don’t complain of nausea and headaches like before,” he said.