The doctors at Pune's Surya Mother and Child Hospital performed a life-saving surgery and successfully saved a 4-year-old, who was suffering from Midgut Volvulus, a condition in which the intestine becomes twisted.

The boy is identified as 4-year-old Sankalp. He was admitted to Pune's Surya Mother and Child Hospital in an extremely worsening condition with wasted muscles, an immensely bloated abdomen, and dehydration.

Sachin Shah, Director, Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Services, Surya Mother and Child Hospital, Pune said that delayed detection of midgut volvulus increases treatment challenges and risks of a high fatality rate.

Initially, Sankalp was treated at a tertiary care hospital in Varanasi, where he went through surgery. However, his recovery was filled with challenges, leading to multiple corrective surgeries that failed to enhance his condition. Despite all the efforts, the boy's health continued to worsen and the boy's family was notified that additional medical intervention appeared to be pointless.

A team of doctors at the Pune Hospital estimated Sankalp’s condition and chose a re-surgery to deal with the condition. They performed a 4-hour extensive surgery. During the procedure, the surgical team observed adhesions in the boy's abdomen, which caused the intestines to adhere together, severely compromising their function

Sachin Shah said that despite these odds, the surgical team meticulously separated the intestines, repaired the damage, and restored their function during the extensive surgery. Sankalp recovered within 48 hours post-surgery. He was able to consume real food again after 6 days of abstaining from solid food, indicating a notable milestone in his journey to health and recovery.

The doctor also said that following a successful recovery, Sankalp was discharged after 10 days and closely monitored for the next three months. Once the doctors were satisfied with healthy weight gain after a three-month follow-up period, Sankalp was discharged.

Midgut volvulus is a serious condition, and it is frequent among children and infants and usually occurs within the first weeks of life. It is caused by a congenital anomaly of the intestine, leaving the child susceptible to the sudden twisting of most of the intestine. The symptoms of the midgut volvulus in infants include upper abdominal distension, bilious vomiting, and abdominal tenderness. This condition is treatable, however late diagnosis of this condition could swiftly worsen the health of the patient and cause death.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/MSM)