Hyderabad: 3-year-old boy with laughing seizures treated at AIG Hospitals

The surgery, which was performed for the first time in Hyderabad, has given hope to children suffering from abnormal smiles caused by hypothalamic hamartoma

Hyderabad: A team of expert epileptologists and epilepsy specialists from Hyderabad have successfully diagnosed and treated a 3-year-old child who had been experiencing abnormal laughing seizures (gelastic seizures) for over a year.

The surgery, which was performed for the first time in Hyderabad, has given hope to children suffering from abnormal smiles caused by hypothalamic hamartoma, a rare brain condition that affects hypothalamus, a crucial part of the brain responsible for various physiological functions.

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One of the distressing symptoms is the involuntary facial movements, which often manifest as abnormal smiles. The child’s parents, desperate for a solution, sought help from the team at Neurosciences department at AIG hospital.

The team of epileptologists, Dr. Nikith Milind Shaw and Dr. Prashanthi Aripirala of Rainbow hospitals and Dr. Raghu Samala, senior Epilepsy Surgeon at AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad successfully diagnosed and treated the child.

Under the careful evaluation of the Epilepsy Surgery team, it was determined that the child would greatly benefit from surgical intervention. The team at AIG Hospitals decided to employ a ground-breaking robotic minimally invasive surgery.

Dr. Raghu Samala said “This breakthrough in surgical technique allows us to provide a better quality of life for children with hypothalamic hamartoma. By adopting the robotic approach, we can achieve exceptional surgical outcomes while minimizing the risks associated with traditional open surgery. It’s a game-changer for both patients and medical professionals”.

The Neurosurgical team headed by Dr. Subodh Raju and Dr. Raghu Samala at AIG Hospitals were closely associated with the entire surgery.