SUMUM surgeon conducts surgery to treat one-in-a-million condition in baby

Bhubaneswar: Surgeons at SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) here have conducted a successful surgery to correct the congenital defect in a 15-month old girl child who was born with Tessier Cleft, a rare condition.

Smruti’s parents had knocked the doors of several hospitals before bringing her to SUMUM, as the baby had multiple clefts in the eye and nose region and the surgery was considered a risky proposition.

Led by Dr. Unmesh Kumar Jena, Consultant, Plastic Surgery, the surgery was conducted recently by a team of highly skilled doctors and anesthesiologists which included Dr. Dipankar Padhiary, Dr. Sabyasachi Tripathy and Dr. Roshni.
Such cases, also known as Craniofacial Cleft, are rare and there are around 50 to 60 known cases in the world (less than 15 in India and third in Odisha) till now, Dr. Jena said adding “the incidence is between 1 to 4 in 1,00,000 live births.”

The surgery was conducted with great care and the baby has been recuperating well since the congenital defect was successfully corrected. She had Epiphora, meaning excessive lacrimation from left eye, inappropriate closure of the left eye and recurrent Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI), because of an anomaly in the nose, Dr. Jena said.

The hospital made the compassionate decision to perform the challenging surgery under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) scheme, which covered all costs, eliminating any financial burden on the family. The baby might need a secondary procedure for reconstruction of cartilage in the nose and address any bone loss after she reaches 18 years of age, Dr. Jena said.
“The life saving surgery was needed now as there was the possibility of the baby developing Keratitis, meaning infection of the cornea, which could lead to complete blindness in future if not treated immediately,” he said.

SUMUM’s infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, coupled with the expertise of its skilled medical professionals, make it a leading healthcare provider in the region. The Department of Plastic Surgery, in particular, is well-equipped with cutting-edge technology and equipment, allowing for complex procedures like this one to be conducted with precision and accuracy.