Hyderabad: Rare surgery saves life of 2-year-old

Hyderabad: Two-year-old baby Akshaya, suffering from a life-threatening neo-plastic swelling on right side of the neck, pushing major blood vessels, and obstructing blood supply to the brain, underwent a successful surgery by doctors of the American Oncology Institute, Citizens Specialty Hospital.

A team of robotic surgeons, lead by Dr Jagdishwar Goud Gajagowni, performed the surgery including identification, dissection and preservation of Carotid artery, and the nerve which produces voice. The team separated the food and breathing piped before the bleeding was secured and surgery completed.

"The girl had been suffering from the condition for over a year and a half. The swelling had been exerting pressure on her food and breathing pipes, thereby manifesting it as a life-threatening condition," said Dr Goud, head, Department for Surgical Oncology & Robotic Surgery.

Hailing from a remote village in the State, her parents have been running from pillar to post to find a solution for the swelling. Unable to afford costs associated with those offered, a family acquaintance made an online plea to Minister KTR, who promised to help the child.

The institute and Dr Goud volunteered to handle the surgical procedure. KTR's office got in touch with him to work out the modalities. Doctors Bala Vikas Kumar and Challa Teja assisted Dr Goud. The procedure was completed within 24 hours of the hospitalization.

Following a post-op observation, the baby was discharged. The institute enabled the surgery without any financial burden to the family. It endeavors to continue efforts to provide advanced cancer care at subsidised cost so that all in society could have access to best cancer care.

Says Dr Prabhakar, regional director of the institute, it is committed to best cancer care for patients in South Asia. It has an internal programme to help the underprivileged and provide them treatment free/subsidised rates.

KTR expressed lauded the expertise of the doctor and the hospital in bringing much needed-relief to Akshaya.