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Surgeons from Sidra Medicine, a Qatar Foundation entity, have successfully conducted minimally invasive keyhole brain surgery on a baby born with hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which fluids (cerebrospinal fluid) collect in the brain. It occurs in one to two per 1,000 newborns globally. Hydrocephalus, if left untreated in babies, can cause severe disabilities or be fatal. However, early diagnosis and treatment through brain surgery, allows the majority of children to live healthy and full lives. When Leen was five weeks old, her primary healthcare paediatrician noticed that the circumference of her head was rapidly growing. It soon surpassed normal sizes. They also noted developmental delays and that she was struggling with her vision. Leen was immediately referred to Sidra Medicine’s Neurosurgery department where surgeons Dr Ian Pople and Dr Khalid al Kharazi determined that she had hydrocephalus and would need to undergo brain surgery. In a pioneering surgery spanning two hours, the surgeons used a flexible thin endoscope through a tiny hole in Leen’s skull. The CPC process involved cauterizing most of the Choroid Plexus, the part of her brain that produces cerebrospinal fluid. In Leen’s case, the plexus was producing excessive fluid — which was causing her head to swell. The cauterisation helped reduce the amount of fluid being produced. Leen was discharged one week after surgery and continues to visit Sidra Medicine’s Neurosurgical team.
