Tribune News ServiceChandigarh, March 20
Nine-year-old Amandeep Singh, suffering from a stone in the gall bladder, had no other option but to go in for a open surgery which would not only have meant a prolonged hospital stay but pain and agony to the young child.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder) is replacing open surgery, but the concept is fairly new. Dr N.S. Bamrah, a senior consultant in the general and laparoscopic surgery at the Chandigarh Medical Centre (CMC), removed the gall bladder stone from the abdomen of Amandeep.
According to Dr Bamrah, performing the laparoscopic surgery on a child is difficult mainly because of small abdomen cavity and area of access. Anatomical differences between a child and an adult, coupled with associated problems of anaesthesia add to the complications.
Amandeep had severe pain in upper abdomen, accompanied with vomiting and mild pain, over the past two years. Ultrasonography revealed a stone in the gall bladder. ‘‘ Incidence of a gall stone in a nine-year-old is rare. Moreover, cause of formation of stone in gall bladder, such as those of raised cholesterol level in blood due to hypothyroid cases of pigment stone due to haemolytic anaemia, needed investigations before surgery could be undertaken,’’ says Dr Bamrah.
Though laparoscopy has advantages over conservative surgery due to almost minimal loss of blood and early recovery, for a small child, specialised instruments are required. Dr Bamrah operated upon the child laparoscopically and Amandeep was mobile the same evening and was discharged the next morning.
