AIIMS Jodhpur successfully treats 4 children with rare Laughing Epilepsy
Jaipur: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jodhpur has achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully performing minimally invasive stereotactic radiofrequency ablation surgeries on four patients suffering from hypothalamic hamartoma causing gelastic seizures, commonly known as ''laughing epilepsy,'' a rare and drug-resistant form of epilepsy.
With this achievement, AIIMS Jodhpur has become the only hospital in Rajasthan and the second AIIMS in India to offer this highly specialized treatment.
Before the surgery, some of the children were experiencing as many as 10 to 20 seizure episodes daily, severely affecting their quality of life. Using a highly advanced computer-guided stereotactic frame-based technique, doctors precisely targeted and ablated the seizure-causing lesion located deep within the brain through a small incision of approximately one inch, thereby avoiding the need for major open brain surgery.
All four patients responded remarkably well to the procedure, with no reported complications. They were safely discharged within 48 hours and are now seizure-free, demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of this advanced minimally invasive approach, the PIB stated.
The neurological assessment and presurgical evaluation of the patients were carried out by Dr Samhita Panda and Dr Lokesh Saini, while advanced MRI localization was performed by Dr Sarbesh Tiwari. Anesthesia support was provided by Dr Swati Chabbra and Dr Manbir Kaur. The surgeries were successfully performed by Dr Mohit Agrawal.
The team also acknowledged the academic guidance and encouragement received from Dr Deepak K Jha and Dr Suryanarayanan Bhaskar.
AIIMS Jodhpur has been running a Comprehensive Epilepsy Surgery Program since 2019, under which more than 100 epilepsy surgeries have been successfully performed free of cost under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, ensuring access to advanced care for patients across the region.
The team expressed gratitude to Executive Director Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri for his continued support in strengthening advanced epilepsy surgery services at the institute.
This achievement reinforces AIIMS Jodhpur’s commitment to delivering state of the art, patient-centric healthcare and advancing specialized neurosurgical services in the region.
