Roona Begum With Abnormally Large Head Stable After Third Complex Surgery

Roona Begum, the 20-month-old baby from India who became an internet sensation a few months back because of her rare disorder that caused an abnormal swelling of her head to an unprecedented 94 cms, is  responding positively to the treatment protocol, said doctors treating her.

In the month of April, Roona was shifted from her hometown in Tripura to New Delhi's Fortis Memorial Research Institute for proper medical care. Roona was suffering from Hydrocephalus, which means an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles or cavities of the brain. It can even cause death.

"For the first three weeks after she was admitted, we tried to bring down the size of her head to manageable levels. We provided an alternate pathway to drain the cerebrospinal fluid," said Sandeep Vaishya, a doctor treating Begum. "We have put pressure bandages to mould her head. She may need further reshaping procedures over a six-year period"

Roona's latest surgery was a four-hour one  that was done to remodel her head as it was left disfigured after the doctors drained out the fluid in the previous operation conducted last month.

"Today's surgery was the biggest one so far in terms of remodelling her head. I think it went pretty well," neurosurgeon Sandeep Vaishya told AFP

"When we first cut open her head, all you saw were fragments of bone floating over a fluid filled sac. It is one of the most challenging cases I have seen," Dr. Rashmi Taneja, a plastic surgeon, was quoted in an AFP report.

Her abnormally swollen head has reduced to 60 cm after a string of procedures. The doctors who never expected Roona to come so far, believe that she will be able to survive this disorder and also hope that after the third operation the head will shrink further. The doctors fear infections but at the same time they don't find the need to conduct another surgery on the 20 -month- old baby.

A normal surgery to treat hydrocephalus costs a minimum of Rs. 1.25 lakh ($2,310). Her parents are unable to bear the expense, so an online campaign 'MyGoodAct' has raised funds to help the family. They have raised $57,000 so far.