Pune: Doctors in a city-based hospital performed a high risk surgery on a 9-year-old boy who suffered from rare Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Muscular dystrophy causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. DMD is a genetic disorder and a life-threatening condition as it results in progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.
Diagnosed at the age of five, the child had progressively increasing bilateral lower limb weakness and was on steroids. He also took stem cell therapy a year back. His condition got worse due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids that were swelling at the back of the nasal passages because of which he had difficulty in breathing and was very uncomfortable and not able to sleep due to obstruction of the air passage.
At the Surya Mother and Child Superspeciality Hospital, after thorough investigation for any cardiac and respiratory problems, Dr Sachin Shah, Director, Intensive Care Services, performed the surgery.
A multidisciplinary team, comprising senior paediatric anaesthetists Dr Mohan Swami, Dr Jayaprakash Galpalli, ENT surgeon Dr Smita Choutha, and paediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) experts Dr Amita Kaul and Dr Ganesh Shiwarkar, led by Dr Shah, planned the surgery.
Dr Shah informed that after the surgery, the patient was successfully extubated with good respiratory effort. “Moreover, he did not require any post-operative ventilation. Currently, the patient is asymptomatic and able to sleep properly,” said Dr Shah.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy