13-year-old undergoes successful oesophageal reconstruction surgery at NIMS Hyderabad

A 13-year-old boy with intellectual disabilities underwent successful oesophageal reconstruction surgery at NIMS Hyderabad after suffering a corrosive injury in 2024. The complex procedure was performed free of cost under Aarogyasri and CMRF, restoring his ability to swallow.

Hyderabad: A highly complex esophageal (food pipe) reconstruction surgery was performed at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences on a 13-year-old boy Solu Sai Praneeth, who has intellectual disabilities.

The child sustained a severe corrosive injury after accidentally consuming a cleaning powder in 2024. As a result, Praneeth developed difficulty swallowing food due to extensive damage and narrowing of the esophagus. To provide nutritional support, a feeding tube was inserted into his stomach.

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Last year, he was referred to NIMS and following an observation period of a year, in April 2026, an esophageal reconstruction surgery was performed free of cost under the Aarogyasri Scheme and CMRF. The surgery, which cost nearly Rs 5 lakh was led by Dr. N. Beerappa, Senior Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology and NIMS Director.

Doctors said the surgery was challenging because the child’s esophagus was completely blocked, and postoperative management was further complicated by his mental health state.
Over the last 34 years, the Surgical Gastroenterology department of NIMS has treated more than 600 corrosive injury cases, including over 300 reconstructive surgeries and 99.4 percent of patients were able to maintain normal nutritional status after treatment, he added.
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