3-month-old newborn recovers from successful surgery for hypoglycemia

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 3 (ANI/NewsVoir): A newborn infant went through a one-of-its-kind surgery in the neonatal unit of Dr Kamakshi Memorial Hospital and has recovered fully.
After 100 days of intensive care, the newborn had to be taken in for surgery for persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia.
Kannan and Nivitha were blessed with a lovely baby girl earlier this year. However, their joy was short-lived. Four hours after birth, the attending nurse noticed that the newborn had turned blue from lack of oxygen.
The neonate had stopped breathing and was immediately rushed to the Neonatal ICU at the hospital. She was revived but the situation was quite dire when she was tested with hypoglycemia or extremely low blood sugar levels.
The NICU staff headed by Dr Vaideeswaran (Consultant Neonatologist) started her off on IV glucose but the newborn's sugar levels remained dangerously low.
Glucose Infusion Rate was raised from 6 to 8 mg/kg/min, then 10 mg/kg/min and finally 12 mg/kg/min. With insulin levels soaring she was diagnosed with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia.
"Persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in a neonate is relatively rare. Immediate treatment is absolutely necessary in order to save the child from long-lasting severe neurological damage. If the situation does not improve it could lead to mental or psychomotor retardation and even prove life-threatening," explained Dr Vaideeswaran.
The newborn remained in the NICU for 100 days where her glucose levels and other vitals were constantly monitored. Understanding that every minute counts, the team of doctors at the hospital embarked on an investigative route to find the best-suited treatment modality - genetic analysis, endocrine work-up, and trials with Hydrocortisone, Diazoxide and Octreotide.
The DOTA NOC scan that was conducted revealed Diffuse Nesidioblastosis which is characterized by excessive insulin production by pancreatic beta cells that have an abnormal microscopic appearance. This diagnosis indicated that the only way to save the baby was total pancreatectomy.
The parents who were already in a state of emotional trauma had misgivings on the impact of surgery on their newborn and if she would survive it. Multiple hypoglycemic episodes indicated the urgent need for surgery.
The newborn's condition worsened and she needed to be ventilated twice for Aspiration Pneumonia and Pericardial Effusion. Realising that the drugs and the IV glucose were not giving satisfactory responses, the parents finally consented to surgery.
Dr Kamakshi Memorial Hospital's paediatric surgeon Dr Moorthy headed the surgery, and a total pancreatectomy was performed on the three-month-old baby. This kind of procedure on an infant involves high risk and needs to be conducted with absolute precision.
The surgery was a complete success and when she was finally discharged, she was well on her way to recovery. The parents were more than happy to show their gratitude to the doctors and staff at Dr Kamakshi Memorial Hospital who left no stone unturned to save their baby with a token of love.
"After the procedure, the baby is doing fine. She has not had any hypoglycemic episodes and her periodic check-ups have also shown that she is in good health now. Surgery was the only option to ensure she did not sustain neurological damage that would impede her growth and development. She does need to come in for monthly check-ups because we need to ensure she is achieving developmental milestones and monitoring her sugar levels is a long-term requirement. If at all she develops diabetes in childhood, it can definitely be managed. We are happy to have been able to help her battle this condition and come out healthy," said Dr Vaideeswaran about the 100-day long treatment and the successful surgery.
Dr Kamakshi Memorial Hospital was established in 2005 by Dr TG Govindarajan, Founder and Chairman. It is a 75000 square feet 300 bedded multi-specialty hospital at Pallikaranai, Chennai.
The hospital is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and expert doctors in every department besides 24/7 emergency services, pharmacy, online consultation, high-tech diagnostic and imaging facilities, fully sanitized premises and a support staff that does not hesitate to go the extra mile.
The mission of the hospital is to provide quality health care to everyone and it strongly stands by the same.
For details please visit: www.drkmh.com.
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