13-year-old boy from Somalia with severe esophageal stricture gets new lease of life in Hyderabad

The boy’s condition was so severe he could barely swallow his own saliva, let alone solid food, leading to massive weight loss and severe malnutrition.

Hyderabad: A 13-year-old boy from Somalia received a second chance at life after he was successfully treated for severe esophageal stricture, which is significant narrowing of the esophagus.

The boy’s condition was so severe he could barely swallow his own saliva, let alone solid food, leading to massive weight loss and severe malnutrition. He was weighing 19 kg when he was admitted to Medicover Woman and Child Hospitals, Hitec City.

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A multidisciplinary team from the hospital led by Dr. Madhumohan Reddy, senior paediatric surgeon, conducted a colonic transposition through a retrosternal approach. The surgery is a complex procedure wherein the damaged esophagus is replaced by colon. To support the child’s nutritional needs during recovery, a feeding jejunostomy was also performed.

Dr. Kishore Reddy Y, Surgical Gastroenterologist and Liver Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Ravinder Reddy Parigi, Paediatrician and Neonatologist, and Dr. Janardhan Reddy V, Paediatrician and Intensivist were also part of the complex surgery.

Post-surgery, the boy is recovering well, with significant improvement in his ability to consume food and regain weight.