In January 2026, Narayana Medical College & Hospital, Nellore, successfully performed a rare and complex epilepsy surgery—Vertical Hemispherectomy (Hemispherotomy) on an 11-year-old boy, Revanth, from Vijayawada, who was suffering from Rasmussen’s encephalitis, a rare and severe progressive neurological disorder associated with difficult-to-control epilepsy.

The child had been experiencing approximately 10–20 epileptic seizures per day, significantly affecting his daily life and neurological function. Following comprehensive evaluation for epilepsy surgery, the multidisciplinary team decided to proceed with an advanced disconnection procedure.

Surgical Procedure

A Vertical Hemispherectomy/Hemispherotomy was performed to functionally disconnect the diseased cerebral hemisphere from the rest of the brain. The principal objective of the procedure was to prevent the abnormal electrical activity originating from the affected hemisphere from spreading to the healthy hemisphere, thereby controlling the recurrent seizures.

The procedure represents an advanced form of epilepsy surgery and requires careful pre-operative evaluation, sophisticated neuroimaging, neurophysiological monitoring and close coordination between neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-anaesthesia and supporting clinical teams.

Outcome

According to the reports provided, the child recovered well following surgery and was reported to be free from seizures after the procedure. The successful outcome represents an important milestone in the development of advanced epilepsy surgery services at Narayana Medical College & Hospital.

The case also demonstrates the importance of early recognition of drug-resistant epilepsy and Rasmussen’s encephalitis, followed by appropriate referral to a specialized epilepsy-surgery programme.

Multidisciplinary Team and Infrastructure

The procedure was performed through the coordinated efforts of the Neurology, Neurosurgery and Neuro-anaesthesia teams. The reports specifically mention Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr. N. A. Saikiran and Head of the Department of Neurology Dr. N. S. Sampath Kumar in connection with the case. Neuro-anaesthetist Dr. Brunda, Additional Medical Superintendent Dr. Ravulapalli Harish, and hospital management/support teams were also acknowledged in the reports.

The hospital’s advanced infrastructure supporting complex epilepsy surgery includes:

32-channel video EEG

3 Tesla MRI

Neurophysiological monitoring

High-end operative microscopes

Neuro-navigation system

Advanced neurosurgical and anaesthesia facilities

Patient-Care and Accessibility

The reports further highlighted that such high-cost epilepsy surgeries were being provided without financial burden to eligible patients through insurance, EHS and Aarogyasri schemes, with support from the hospital management and government.

Significance

The successful hemispherotomy/vertical hemispherectomy in this child represents a significant achievement in the management of severe drug-resistant epilepsy at Narayana Medical College & Hospital, Nellore. It demonstrates the hospital’s capability to undertake complex pediatric epilepsy surgeries through a multidisciplinary epilepsy-care model, supported by advanced neuroimaging, neurophysiology, neurosurgical expertise and modern operative technology.

In summary: The January 2026 case of an 11-year-old child with Rasmussen’s encephalitis and 10–20 seizures per day, successfully treated with Vertical Hemispherectomy/Hemispherotomy, highlights the growing expertise and comprehensive epilepsy-surgery capabilities of Narayana Medical College & Hospital, Nellore.