Jax Girl, 8, Has Historic Brain Surgery

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Doctors Disconnect Left Side Of Girl's Brain To Stop Seizures

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An 8-year-old Jacksonville girl is recovering at Brooks Rehabilitation after undergoing a historic surgery in which doctors disconnected the left side of her brain.

Aaliyah Walker was having violent seizures up to two times a day despite being on multiple medications.

"Her parents couldn't let her go to the bathroom without watching and being sure she wasn't falling," said Dr. Raj Sheth, of Wolfson Children's Hospital's Epilepsy Center.

For years, Aaliyah's condition baffled doctors. Eventually, Sheth diagnosed her with a rare children's disease called Rasmussen's encephalitis.

"It's a progressive, unrelenting disorder that causes the complete destruction of one side of her brain," Sheth said.

He said the disorder meant the left side of Aaliyah's brain was literally wasting away. MRIs show empty black space where there was once brain matter.

Dr. Phillipp Aldana performed the neurosurgery that would essentially save Aaliyah's life.

"I went in and cut out this structure, so I disconnected that half of the brain from the other," Aldana said in describing the procedure.

In the 10-hour surgery, specifically, Aldana disconnected all the nerve fibers that control Aaliyah's brain's left side.

He said that as a result, that side of her brain won't be doing much from now on. Instead, the right side of her brain will control her entire body, Aldana said.

The surgery marked the first time this kind of procedure has ever been performed in northeast Florida.

The doctors said it should mean the end of seizures for the 8-year-old and the beginning of a more normal childhood.

Wolfson Children's Hospital, where Aaliyah had her surgery, is one of the only hospitals in the country that can perform the delicate surgery.

Aaliyah was in recovery on Monday. Channel 4 will have the opportunity to talk with her and her mother Tuesday evening.

Jax Girl, 8, Has Historic Brain Surgery - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
 
Wow. I've read of that sort of surgery being done before. There was even a little girl who had half of her brain literally removed from her skull - and went on to do fabulously well, developed very normally in virtually all respects, if memory serves.

Again, I am impressed and awed at what medical technology can do these days.
 
WOW!!

I did not even know you can live without half of your brain intact. Medicine never ceases to amaze me. :)
 
Beach girl said:
Wow. I've read of that sort of surgery being done before. There was even a little girl who had half of her brain literally removed from her skull - and went on to do fabulously well, developed very normally in virtually all respects, if memory serves.

Again, I am impressed and awed at what medical technology can do these days.
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I'm in awe of how a person can live with only one hemisphere of a brain and how that brain adapts without its other half.
 
If it's done on a child, this sort of surgery seems to work out, at least for the cases I've read about.

I suspect for an adult, it would be an entirely different proposition. Maybe impossible, I don't know. Or at least impossible without having a lot more struggles and side-effects.
 
Impossible. If you lost left side of brain, you won't able to control right side of your body! My dad had tumor and it was on his left side and got it removed as result, he were not able to move his arm for like more than four to six weeks then he regain his control. It should take a time for that child to regain. It won't be that fast.
 
JoeyDeafNinja said:
Impossible. If you lost left side of brain, you won't able to control right side of your body! My dad had tumor and it was on his left side and got it removed as result, he were not able to move his arm for like more than four to six weeks then he regain his control. It should take a time for that child to regain. It won't be that fast.
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Kids brains rewire faster than adults. This surgery has been done for other kids with that problem and has been very successful.
 
I remember watching a video about people who had their left/right brains separated. They communicated differently. For instance, one hand could write what he saw with the other eye or could only draw what he saw with the other eye.
 
VamPyroX said:
I remember watching a video about people who had their left/right brains separated. They communicated differently. For instance, one hand could write what he saw with the other eye or could only draw what he saw with the other eye.
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMLzP1VCANo]YouTube - ‪Split brain behavioral experiments‬‏[/ame]
 
You guys are correct. The surgery is called a hemispherectomy and it has been done before. Like most of you, I've only heard of it being done on children with severe seizure disorders, but, with much success. I'm not sure an adult would fare as well, but if someone had to have it done, I would hope it would be considered as it might be preferable to living with a brain tumor or some other debilitating condition.

Joey, a child could very well have half their brain removed and do extremely well. As mentioned, the other side of brain takes over function and the child can relearn how to do things as the brain rewires itself. I would definitely consider this given the alternatives of having deblitating and possibly life threatening seizures.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
You guys are correct. The surgery is called a hemispherectomy and it has been done before. Like most of you, I've only heard of it being done on children with severe seizure disorders, but, with much success. I'm not sure an adult would fare as well, but if someone had to have it done, I would hope it would be considered as it might be preferable to living with a brain tumor or some other debilitating condition.

Joey, a child could very well have half their brain removed and do extremely well. As mentioned, the other side of brain takes over function and the child can relearn how to do things as the brain rewires itself. I would definitely consider this given the alternatives of having deblitating and possibly life threatening seizures.
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That's true. Young minds learn and adapt quicker than adults.
 
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