Doctors at SLG Hospitals successfully treat 16-year-old patient for Branchial Fistula

Hyderabad: Doctors at SLG Hospitals, one of the leading healthcare facilities in the city, are proud to announce 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 failed surgical attempts, elsewhere, for at least 18 times in the past decade.

The 16-years-old patient, a native of Palakollu (West Godavari district), was presented to 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 few months. The patient also had difficulty in swallowing food.

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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. She was suffering from an abnormal connection between skin and food pipe, which was passing in between major blood vessels from heart to brain. This abnormal connection was located closer to thyroid gland associated with superior laryngeal nurve, posing great risk to it!"

"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 27th, and the patient was started feeding on the day of surgery and discharged on day-3 from the day of operation," added Dr. Bhargaw Ilapakurty.

Patient was not just had 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 to her school now, and will lead a regular life, without any worry of the complication ever recurring. Dr. Srinivas and Dr. Srikanth Soma along with support staff members were part of the team which successfully treated the patient.

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