Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : May 17, 2013 11:41 AM IST
Roona Begum the 15-month-old girl who was suffering from hydrocephalus underwent a surgery to reduce her head size. 'The surgery went perfectly, much better than expected,' Sandeep Vaishya said after the procedure. 'It's definitely a success but it's too early to say what the quality of her future life will be like,' said Vaishya.
The poor girl was born with hydrocephalus, a condition that results in the build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Her story was highlighted by the media which helped draw attention to her plight and donations and help poured in from all over the world. She was flown to Delhi's Fortis Memorial Research Institute and her labourer father, Abdul Rahman who earns a paltry Rs 150 per day, thanked the media for drawing attention to their story. She even received celebrity attention with Salman Khan visiting her in connection with his charity Being Human.
According to Dr Vaishya, the weight of the fluid in her head was almost half of her total body weight and this posed a problem because her body would have struggled to absorb all the fluid if a procedure known as a shunt, where a tube is inserted in the patient's head was carried out.
This had also led to a host of other complications like a skin infection on the base of her head which could've pierced through her scalp causing further issues. They instead decided to drain the fluid from her head into an external plastic bag and continued to do so until her head's circumference had shrunk to 60 cm and then performed the surgery. The surgery lasted over an hour and involved the insertion of a shunt to drain the fluid from her head towards the abdomen which will then be absorbed into the blood stream. According to
Experts believe Roona will need extensive physiotherapy to allow her to lead a fully functional life.
'Her neck muscles are very under-developed, so she will need more nutrition and extensive physiotherapy to make her stronger. Her body will have to grow strong so she can learn to sit up and move about and live a normal life,' said Vaishya.
In an earlier interview, Rahman had said that he'd prayed constantly for a 'miracle' to save her girl.
'The day she was born, then itself the doctor said there were no guarantees she would survive,' he told AFP. 'I figured we would do our best for as long as we could and Allah would help us with the rest.'
What is hydrocephalus?
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.
