The Department of Paediatric Surgery at Gandhi Hospital has successfully performed paediatric laparoscopic splenectomy, a keyhole surgery to remove the spleen, on a seven-year-old boy hailing from Aknepalli in Telangana.
The child had been diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis, a rare genetic blood disorder that causes red blood cells to break down faster than normal, when he was three months old. He was referred from MGM Hospital, Warangal, with an enlarged spleen (swollen spleen), jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and severe anaemia (very low blood levels) that forced him to undergo blood transfusions every seven to 10 days.
“Laparoscopic splenectomy in such cases is known to be technically demanding, meaning it is difficult to perform because of the high risk of bleeding and the possibility that surgeons may have to switch to an open procedure, which involves a larger cut,” said Dr K. Nagarjuna, Professor and Head of Paediatric Surgery at Gandhi Hospital.
Doctors said that the minimally-invasive approach, which involves small cuts instead of a large incision, offers several benefits for children. These include reduced pain after the operation, fewer lung-related or infection-related complications, faster recovery, and minimal scarring.
Published – November 20, 2025 07:20 pm IST
