A two-year-old girl has become the world’s youngest patient to undergo deep-brain stimulation surgery.
Viktoria Kaftanikaite, from Glasgow, had electrodes placed inside her brain to treat severe, uncontrolled and painful muscle movements.
She suffers from a rare genetic condition called dystonia, which has left her screaming in pain.
Dystonia can be caused by inherited genetic problems, cerebral palsy or other brain injuries.
Viktoria spent five months in the paediatric intensive care unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. She was diagnosed with a rare mutation in the GNAO1 gene and was referred to neurologists at Evelina Hospital in London, who recommended deep brain stimulation.
Her mother, Patrycja Majewska, said: “We were worried what would happen. You hear the words ‘brain operation’ and worry. We were scared she would not wake up.”
She added: “Life was difficult. Viktoria was two-and-a-half, exhausted and had no life. She was basically screaming for two-and-a-half years. She would cry in pain for up to five hours at a time and sleep maybe one in 24 hours.
“There was no decision – if we didn’t try this, she’d die anyway.”
Viktoria’s operation in May involved drilling two holes – about the size of a 5p coin – into the top of her skull, then implanting two electrodes into the area inside the brain which controls movement.
The electrodes connect to a pacemaker-like device under the skin of the abdomen. They send fast electrical impulses down the line – about 130 per second – which can normalise a patient’s movements.
Patrycja said: “I hope the stimulation works. This is a chance that she can live a good and happy life.”
