Srinagar, July 16 (KNS): Department of Neurosurgery at SKIMS, Soura, has successfully performed the first direct vascular bypass surgery (STA-MCA) in Jammu and Kashmir for a patient suffering from Moya-Moya disease — a rare and progressive brain condition.
The complex six-hour procedure involved connecting a healthy blood vessel from outside the brain (superficial temporal artery) directly to a diseased vessel inside the brain (middle cerebral artery), allowing for immediate improvement in brain blood flow. The patient, an adult who had suffered multiple strokes due to the condition, was discharged in stable condition after a successful surgery with no complications.
Moya-Moya disease, mostly reported in East Asian countries like Japan, narrows brain arteries and leads to the formation of fragile vessels that resemble a "puff of smoke" on scans. It can cause strokes and seizures, particularly in children. Treatment often requires surgical intervention to restore proper blood circulation.
While SKIMS had previously managed such cases using indirect techniques like Encephalo-Dura-Myo-Arterio-Synangiosis (EDMAS), this was the institute’s first direct bypass surgery, marking a major leap in neurovascular care within the region.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The surgery was led by Dr. Nayil Khursheed, Professor of Neurosurgery, with support from Dr. Farooq Ahmad Ganie, Associate Professor of CVTS, and Dr. Zulfikar Ali, Additional Professor of Neuroanesthesia. Intraoperative assessments confirmed excellent blood flow through the bypass, ensuring a successful outcome.
Director SKIMS, Dr. (Prof.) M. Ashraf Ganie, congratulated the team, stating, “This ground-breaking surgery puts SKIMS on the national map of centers capable of performing such advanced procedures with precision and excellence.”
The Department of Neurosurgery at SKIMS is now planning to produce educational material to assist other neurosurgical centers across the valley in handling similar cases. This development marks a new chapter in providing state-of-the-art neurosurgical interventions to patients in Kashmir.(KNS)