Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : May 24, 2013 11:11 AM IST
Baby Roona Begum, the 18-month-old girl who was suffering from a severe case of hydrocephalus, underwent a successful remodelling surgery of her skull at Fortis Memorial Research Institute on Tuesday. The girl from Tripura was suffering from a rare condition which had engorged her head to a 30-inch diameter due to the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Doctors said that she was stable and recovering well. She is still under treatment and would certainly need further operation to remodel her skull into normal shape and size, said the spokesperson of Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon, where the surgery was conducted.
Roona was admitted to FMRI on April 17 and doctors found that extent of hydrocephalus in her case were beyond normal. Her head circumference has been progressively growing since birth and is an unprecedented 94 cm, making it one of the most complex cases, said the statement then released by the institute. Her story was highlighted by the media which helped draw attention to her plight and donations poured in from all over the world. 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.
What is hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus is an extremely rare condition that affects only about one or two babies in every in 1000 the world over. The word hydrocephalus is derived from the Greek words; hydro meaning water and cephalus meaning head , literally meaning water on the brain . This condition is characterized by excessive fluid build-up in the head of a baby. Although the word refers to water , it is not water that accumulates in the brain, but CSF or cerebro-spinal fluid that accumulates within the ventricles (spaces in the brain) of the brain. This accumulation leads to widening of these spaces leading to unnatural pressure being exerted on the tissue of the brain. Read more here.
