Baby with rare condition leaves ICU
What you need to know:
- Six medical specialists, among them three neuro-surgeons, a maxillofacial surgeon, a plastic surgeon and an anaesthetist, performed the five-hour operation.
- Prior to the operation, the hospital’s facilities were assessed in terms of equipment and personnel and it was certified that it could handle the delicate procedure.
- According to Dr Emily Nyamu, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Nyeri County Referral Hospital, the defect on the face was on both the bony and soft tissues.
An 18-month-old boy who underwent a successful surgery last week to rectify a deformity that had left his brain exposed, was yesterday transferred from the intensive care unit to the new borns’ unit.
Baby Brian Gitau had been taken to the ICU soon after the delicate surgery at Consolata Hospital Mathari in Nyeri last Thursday.
“I wish to inform you that baby Brian is doing well and has been discharged from ICU to the new borns’ unit,” said the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bernard Muriithi.
Six medical specialists, among them three neuro-surgeons, a maxillofacial surgeon, a plastic surgeon and an anaesthetist, performed the five-hour operation.
“Earlier, we had a review by the anaesthesiologist and generally the baby was in good shape and feeding well,” he said.
The CEO said the hospital had the capacity to take care of the boy as he recovers.
Prior to the operation, the hospital’s facilities were assessed in terms of equipment and personnel and it was certified that it could handle the delicate procedure.
According to Dr Emily Nyamu, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Nyeri County Referral Hospital, the defect on the face was on both the bony and soft tissues.
Dr Nyamu said the surgery was a stage one operation in which they put together the soft tissue.
Another operation would follow later in which the surgeons would deal with the bone defects when the baby is a little bit older.
The boy, who was born on December 18, 2013, had multi-facial abnormalities with a cleft lip and bilateral palate. This made it difficult for him to suckle, forcing the doctors to recommend feeding through tubes.
The baby had been diagnosed with encephalocele, also referred to by its Latin name cranium bifidum. It is a defect characterised by sac-like protrusions of the brain through the skull.
