Boy who couldn't poop for 2 yrs finds relief, and other Mumbai medical miracles

Every other week we hear of people suffering from terminal diseases and that can often be difficult for many beyond the families to deal with as they know of someone close who may have also suffered similarlyEven as they stories come to light there are others that give us hope as they are nothing short of medical expertise and in many cases miracles for the families who were dealing with tough timesHere are some inspiring medical stories from the weekBoy who couldnt poop finds reliefA twoyearold child suffering from a congenital condition that made him unable to pass stool naturally since birth has been successfully treated at a Mumbai hospital recently The child who had been solely dependent on daily enemas for over two years due to Hirschsprungrsquos disease is now leading a normal life after the procedure He is free from abdominal pain and swelling without any external stitches and no longer needs further medical interventionThe case came to light a few months ago when Mr and Mrs Vaidya name changed who were overjoyed with the birth of their first child Aryan name changed but soon found out that he was facing difficulty passing stool While he was a cheerful and playful baby after he turned one month they began noticing that he was struggling with severe constipation which soon became a constant cause of concern He was unable to pass stool for as long as 8 daysDespite multiple medications and daily enemas given by their family doctor at Nashik his condition never improved His tummy often swelled with gas and his weight gain remained poor The family travelled from Nashik to Mumbai in December 2024 and consulted Dr Vibhor Borkar who suspected Hirschsprungrsquos disease A few diagnostic tests like barium enema endoscopy biopsy and manometry confirmed the conditionDr Borkar paediatric gastroenterologist at Gleneagles Hospital in Parel said ldquoHirschsprungrsquos disease occurs when nerve cells ganglion cells in the lower part of the large intestine fail to develop causing stool to accumulate causing blockage and leading to chronic constipation Hirschsprungrsquos disease affects 1 in 5000 to 10000 children There is no medical management for this condition and it can even become lifethreatening due to infections In very young babies delayed passage of the first green potty meconium can be an early sign Older children usually suffer from swollen stomachs vomiting poor weight gain and constant constipation while some may suffer from infections Standard treatment requires major surgery that is either open or laparoscopic where the affected part of the intestine is removed and rejoined However in this childrsquos case we used a minimally invasive technique called Perrectal Endoscopic Myotomy PREM which avoids any external scarring The child is free of symptoms eating well and passing stools without the requirement of enema Not treating the child at the right time could have led to complications like enterocolitis infection and poor weight gain Though this is a congenital condition antenatal diagnosis is extremely difficult and the child becomes symptomatic after birth onlyDr Shankar Zanwar who is interventional gastroenterologist on the case added ldquoThe child had a congenital condition called Hirschsprungrsquos disease where the last part of the intestine lacks the necessary nerve cells preventing stool from passing As a result the portion above it keeps enlarging like a blocked pipe building pressure When the child came from Nashik to us in Mumbai he was extremely uncomfortable his stomach was swollen and he couldnrsquot pass stool without daily enemas After confirming the diagnosis through manometry and biopsy we treated the child using an advanced endoscopic technique known as PerRectal Endoscopic Myotomy PREM Dr Zanwar added This procedure is done under general anesthesia where we were helped by Dr Aditya Prabhudesai and Dr Dhanashree Karkhanis The whole procedure is done endoscopically where a small cut is made just inside the anus of the patient From this cut a tunnel was made within the layers of the intestine and a nonfunctional segment of the intestine which lacks nerves was cut internally The entry cut is then closed with clips As the procedure is done endoscopically no scar or cut is seen on the body surface and the patient is painfree after the procedure The entire procedure lasted 3 hours This procedure allowed us to manage the condition without traditional open surgery Globally only 13 such procedures have been reported and this is the first case to be treated by the endoscopic method in Mumbai Everything was done internally through an endoscope and there were no cuts or stitches outside Within two days the child was discharged and no longer needed enemas His stomach has flattened and he now passes stool normally This procedure has truly changed his liferdquoMy son Aryan was fine after birth However after a year he started having constipation and was in pain Our family doctor referred us to Dr Vibhor His biopsy revealed Hirschsprungrsquos disease After successful treatment my son is fine now and is able to pass his bowels without any difficulty We thank Dr Vibhor and Dr Shankar for their timely intervention said Mrs VaidyaDutch woman treated with Cellbased therapy for Parkinsonrsquos Disease in Navi MumbaiA woman from Holland had been living with the painful symptoms of Parkinsonrsquos Disease for years such as stiffness tremors slurred speech and balance issues for 11 years before she was diagnosed two years ago Now she has been successfully treated at a Navi Mumbai hospital to lead a healthy lifeA team led by Dr Pradeep Mahajan regenerative medicine researcher and founder of StemRx Hospital amp Research Centre has successfully treated the woman with advanced cellbased therapy Despite trying traditional treatments back home her symptoms only grew stronger with time Her health deteriorated as buttoning a shirt pouring a glass of water or simply standing up became daily challenges She often found herself withdrawing from social gatherings unable to keep up with conversations or the pace of othersShe came to India in 2023 and under the guidance of Dr Mahajan was introduced to a holistic approach that aimed not just to mask her symptoms but to treat the root cause of her conditionDr Mahajan explained ldquoParkinsonrsquos affects people deeply physically emotionally and socially Our approach through regenerative medicine focuses on reviving the dopamineproducing cells in the brain that have been damaged over time We use a combination of stem cell therapy neurorehabilitation and physiotherapy to help patients regain control of their movement and improve overall brain function The treatment uses stem cells to repair damaged brain tissue and growth factors to boost dopamine production the chemical most impacted in Parkinsonrsquos This approach differs from conventional therapies which offer only temporary symptom relief Instead regenerative medicine aims at longterm recovery and improved quality of liferdquoDr Mahajan added ldquoIn Annersquos case the results were transformative After starting physiotherapy and cell therapy her balance improved her pain reduced and even the persistent cramps she once endured began to fade Her journey from fear and physical exhaustion to renewed strength and hope has become a beacon for other Parkinsonrsquos patients seeking alternative therapies Today Anne is walking steadier speaking clearer and living with renewed confidence and proof that with the right care and innovation even the toughest challenges can be met with courage and healingatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params