After 18 surgeries, SLG Hospitals doctors successfully treat a young girl suffering from rare defect

Hyderabad, Dec 21 (UNI) Doctors at SLG Hospitals, one of the leading healthcare facilities in the city, on Tuesday announced that they have successfully treated a young girl, who was suffering from a rare type of defect (called Branchial Fistula) since birth.

This defect was undiscovered for more than 9 years, and the victim underwent nearly 18 surgical attempts in the past decade, the Hospitals said in a release here.
The 16-years-old patient, a native of Palakollu , West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, was approached by the doctors at SLG Hospitals with severe swelling in the neck, along with regular pus discharge from that region.
This complication started about 9 years back, and the victim underwent minor to major surgical procedures at least twice, each year.
Each time the pus was cleared, and temporary relief provided, only for the problem to recur after a few months. The patient also had difficulty in swallowing food.
Commenting on the complication, Dr. Bhargaw Ilapakurty, Consultant Head & Neck Cancer, Reconstructive & Laser Surgeon, SLG Hospitals said, “This patient was presented with this rare problem, and after contrast CT scan and related examinations, we were able to identify the exact complication.
“The patient was operated to remove the whole tract, which was the abnormal connection, without damaging any other parts. It was a complex procedure and required a multi-disciplinary approach to avoid any during and post-surgery complications. The surgical procedure was performed on November 27 and the patient was started feeding on the day of surgery and discharged on day-3 from the day of operation,” Dr. Bhargaw added.
Patient did not just have harrowing experiences due to the problem, she also had to miss precious schooling time over the past many years.
She is now able to swallow food well and speak normally. She also started attending her school now, and will lead a regular life, without any worry of the complication ever recurring.
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