Rare brain surgery helps youth recover vision

Kochi: For years, Aluva native A.K. Shajahan has suffered from an almost constant, agonizing headache. Of late, the 28-year old began to lose his peripheral vision and even consciousness two months back when he was donating blood at a hospital.

However, a rare key-hole brain surgery done at the Ernakulam General hospital brought him back to his normal life and even enabled him to resume his welding jobs.

A medical team led by ENT surgeon Dr Saju K.G. and Neuro surgeon Dr Dalvin Thomas remo-ved tumour in his pituitary gland located at the base of the brain through the complicated surgery that lasted three-and-a half hours.

This is the first time such a surgery is successfully performed in a government hospital. While the treatment procedure would cost anywhere from '2 lakh to '4lakh outside, the surgical expe-nses came to only '10, 000.

“We removed the tumour via the natural corridors of nostrils with a surgery approach using a high-definition endoscope as the visualization tool (Endoscopic transcranial transsphenoidal binostrill approach). He regained his eye sight and mobilization on the day of surgery itself, thanks to the minimally invasive “keyhole surgery,” said Dr Dalvin Thomas, who joined the hospital in March last.

The hospital didn’t have necessary medical equipment for performing the surgery like neuro endoscopy but the medical team managed to make available demo equipment directly from surgical equipment manufacturing companies.

“The success has inspired us to take up such cases and we’ve already proposed to the government to purchase the required equipment which would cost around '40 lakh. The Cochin Refineries has agreed to support us in our endeavour and offered '25 lakh. We hope to get the key equipment in another two weeks. We’ve already four similar cases currently pending,” said Dr Saju.

The surgery was performed on August 15 last. Though the operation as successful, Shajahan couldn’t return to his house at Madrassa Lane in Aluva as the water in Periyar began to rise on the same day. His house got submerged by night and his family was shifted to relief camp. The doctors however, asked his to stay at hospital. “Now only follow up treatment and monitoring is needed,” said Dr Dalvin.