Complex surgery done at hyderabad STAR Hospitals

Hyderabad: The Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology at STAR Hospitals performed a complex neuro-endovascular surgery for blood vessel disorders of brain through a small artery in the wrist. The hospitals sources said that the patient was suffering from an extremely rare disorder of blood vessels of brain called as Dural Arteriovenous Fistula (incidence of 0.15 to 0.29 per 100,000 persons per year). In this condition, an abnormal connection between arteries of the brain and veins called "fistula" is formed, this causes swelling of the brain tissue that can manifest as headaches, seizures and even life-threatening Haemorrhage within the brain if left undiagnosed.

The patient was a 55-year-old male from Hyderabad who presented to the hospital with complaints of difficulty in talking and fits/seizures. He underwent an MRI scan of the brain that showed swelling of the brain tissue. Further an angiogram of the blood vessels of the brain confirmed the diagnosis of Dural Arteriovenous Fistula.

Dr Shahyan Siddiqui, Neuro and Interventional Radiologist, who performed the Surgery said, "As the angiogram also was done through the radial artery, we decided to treat the condition through same route. The abnormal connection called fistula was closed by navigating tiny tubes called microcatheter and hair thin microwires into the abnormal arterial and venous connections and injecting liquid embolic agent that sealed them instantly." He also added that following the procedure, the patient could be mobilised within a few hours. He could sit in the bed and do his basic activities without any hindrance. He said the pinhole surgery done though trans-radial route further improves patients comfort and safety over an open brain surgery.