Rare Successful Surgery for Child at PIMS Hospital, Udaipur

Udaipur: Doctors at Pacific Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital, Umrada, have successfully performed a rare surgery on a seven-year-old boy. Pediatric surgeon Dr. Atul Mishra reported that the child, from Salumber, was admitted to the hospital due to a condition known as heteropagus parasitic twin. This condition involves twins that are physically connected, where one develops fully while the other remains underdeveloped.

In these cases, part of the body, typically the lower part, is attached to the healthy twin. The parasitic twin lacks independent life and essentially remains attached like a large mass, relying on the healthy twin's blood vessels for sustenance. For the healthy child, this can present as a painful and disfiguring mass, which may be attached to the chest, abdomen, or hip.

Dr. Mishra explained that this condition occurs due to complex abnormalities during pregnancy and is extremely rare, affecting approximately one in 500,000 to one million newborns. In this case, the parasitic mass was located near the anal region. The surgical procedure required careful attention to both the organs and blood vessels involved. The operation lasted nearly three hours, resulting in the successful removal of a 1.75-kilogram parasitic mass.

The anesthesia team, including Dr. Kamlesh, Dr. Ganesh Gupta, and Dr. Tyagi, along with pediatric department specialists Dr. Vivek Parashar and Dr. Khatri, as well as staff members Arun and Kuldeep, played crucial roles in the procedure.

PIMS Chairman Ashish Agarwal noted that the child's treatment was provided free of charge under the Chief Minister's Free Medical Scheme. The child is now completely healthy.