Rare skull surgery conducted

For the first time in Odisha, Expansile Cranioplasty, a surgical procedure undertaken to correct abnormal skull development in infants, has been successfully conducted at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here.

The process, known as the fronto-orbital advancement, was conducted by renowned neurosurgeon Prof Ashok Mohapatra on a seven-month-old baby suffering from a disorder known as Craniostenosis.

Prof Mohapatra, who led the team that conducted the complex separation of the conjoined twins from Odisha at AIIMS, New Delhi, presently the Director (Medical Programmes) at the SOA University, said the surgery on the baby from Mayurbhanj district was conducted two weeks ago. The baby recovered well and has since been discharged from the hospital, he said.

“The aim of the procedure was to expand the skull to create space for the brain to grow properly. The skull expands from 35 cm to 60 cm by the time the child turned five,” he said, adding if there was any abnormality in skull development, it would prevent the brain from growing properly.

The procedure used to take 12-15 hours in the 1970s, but now it can be done in three hours, he said.