Newborn successfully operated for blood vessel abnormality

CHENNAI: Doctors at Apollo Children’s Hospital successfully operated on a barely two-day-old, for a rare blood vessel abnormality in the brain. The baby was diagnosed with a vein of Galen malformation (VOGM), which is seen in one out of three million births. It was detected at the antenatal stage.

The mother was admitted and the baby was electively delivered through C-section after antenatal MRI. As expected, the baby developed heart failure and multi-organ failure secondary to the brain vascular vein of Galen malformation. After 48 hours, the baby was taken for endovascular embolisation of the malformation in the brain by a team led by Dr Srinivasan Parasaviam, Head of Neuro-Endovascular Surgery, Apollo Hospitals.

“The vein of Galen malformation is an abnormal high flow connection leading to extra pressure in the veins that in turn cause a rush of blood towards the heart and lungs, forcing the heart to work overtime to get blood to the rest of the body. This can lead to massive heart failure,” said Dr Srinivasan. “Successful treatment of vein of Galen malformation is a complex therapeutic challenge and as endovascular embolisation has shown to have good clinical outcomes, it was decided to go in for that procedure,” Dr Srinivasan added.

The procedure cuts off blood supply and blocks flow to the affected area. The doctors carried out by insertion of a catheter, a long thin tube, through the umbilical artery, which is then advanced into the affected blood vessel in the brain and ‘super glue’ is injected to block the vessel, the release said.

“This is a novel technique to temporarily stop the flow of blood in the body during surgery, for inducing hypotension to aid in controlled embolisation. This technique has been used in combination with brain embolisation only a few times across the world. The baby recovered and is doing well,” he said.