Junagadh Docs Remove Extra Limb From One-Month-Old Baby

Doctors in Life Cre Hospital, Junagadh, Gujarat have successfully performed a rare surgery on a new-born removing his third limb developed in lower-back of the one-month old infant in an about six-hour marathon surgery on August 15, reports Mumbai Mirror.

The infant born of Ashraf Lattha’s wife, a daily wage worker. He was diagnosed of suffering from a complicated ‘meningomyelocele with mature teratoma’, in which an extra limb had sprouted in the lower back of the child, while a portion of intestine had slipped into the lower back.

Dr Jitendra Daadhe, a paediatric surgeon said, “Though the operation was risky we preferred to do it in the hospital as the parents of the child would not have afforded treatment in cities like Mumbai and Delhi”.

The child was admitted to the hospital on July 15 in Kodinar, a day after he was born. “Since the child’s other functions like feeding, excretion were normal we decided that there was no urgency for operation, and postponed it for about a month,” he said.

On August 15, the infant was admitted to the hospital and Sonography, cardiac functions, and other tests were done on him. It was during these tests the doctors came across the abnormality in intestine.

Meanwhile, Dr Daadhe contacted Dr Bharti Kulkarni, a doctor in a Mumbai hospital for her guidance. And it was only after thorough study, Dr Daadhe pooled in resources for operation.

The parents were informed about the risks involved in conducting the operation. “It was after obtaining permission from the parents we resolved to operate upon the child,” he said.

Dr Gaadhe was assisted by Dr Odedara, anaesthetist Dr Dhotaliya and Dr Borel. Dr Daadhe said that it was a rare operation, and he could come across only 15 to 18 cases