Medical feat in West Bengal: Doctors successfully perform C-section on CMT patient

Midnapore, Aug 25 (IANS) Doctors at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal have successfully performed a Caesarean section on a 25-year-old woman suffering from the rare neurological disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. Both the mother and newborn are reported to be healthy.

According to hospital sources, the surgery is believed to be the first such procedure performed on a CMT patient in the district. The successful operation has been described by doctors as a significant medical achievement, particularly because of the challenges involved in administering anaesthesia to the patient.

The woman, identified as Sonamoni Giri, a resident of Mohanpur in East Midnapore’s Egra area, was admitted to Midnapore Medical College for the second time during her pregnancy. Medical tests revealed that she was suffering from CMT disease, a hereditary neurological disorder that affects the peripheral nerves and can cause weakness in the hands and feet, difficulty in walking and problems with movement.

Doctors said administering anaesthesia to a patient with CMT requires particular caution. The risk can increase if the respiratory muscles are affected, making close monitoring essential during and after surgery.

Although the Caesarean procedure itself took around one-and-a-half hours, doctors spent nearly four to five hours on preparation and anaesthesia-related monitoring to minimise potential complications.

Suman Chatterjee, head of the hospital’s anaesthesia department, and Professor Bijoy Kumar Bandopadhyay said the procedure involved considerable risk but was carried out with utmost caution.

“The risk was considerable, but we succeeded,” the doctors said. Both the woman and kid are healthy after the procedure, they added.

Sonamoni, who already has a daughter, described the difficulties she faces because of the disease, saying walking is extremely difficult for her. Hospital officials said both the mother and newborn are currently healthy and under medical observation.

–IANS

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