1.7-kg Baby Treated For Rare Brain Disorder

Visakhapatnam: Doctors in Visakhapatnam successfully performed a complex neurovascular procedure on a premature baby weighing just 1.7 kg after he was diagnosed with Galen Vessel Malformation (VoGM), a rare congenital cerebrovascular disease.

The procedure was performed by interventional neurovascular specialist Dr. It was carried out by the hospital’s multidisciplinary neonatal team in collaboration with Siva Sankar Dalai.

VoGM is a rare congenital condition in which abnormal blood vessels allow blood to flow directly from the arteries to the veins, putting undue strain on the heart and circulation. If not treated on time, it can lead to heart failure, respiratory distress, multiple organ dysfunction and a high risk of death.

The disorder was detected in late pregnancy during IVF conception when routine prenatal scans revealed abnormal blood flow in the fetal brain. The baby was born prematurely and was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Once the baby’s condition was stabilized, doctors performed an endovascular procedure using a catheter guided through small blood vessels to block the abnormal connections and restore normal blood flow.

“Early intervention was critical to give the child a chance at a normal life,” Dr Dalai said.

The baby is under observation in the NICU and his heart function has improved with stable vital signs.

Hospital officials said this was among the first successful VoGM interventions in the region for a premature baby with such a low birth weight. They said it would require long-term follow-up to monitor the baby’s neurodevelopment.