Media Release
Mangaluru, Apr 11: KMC Hospital Mangaluru has achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully treating a rare and challenging case of Nesidioblastosis. The patient, a 26-year-old named Neha (name changed), had been grappling with recurrent, life-threatening episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This complex surgical intervention, a total pancreatectomy, was meticulously executed by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team led by Dr Karthik KS, consultant surgical oncologist, KMC Hospital Mangaluru, marking a turning point in the patient's long battle against this debilitating condition.
Neha was diagnosed with Nesidioblastosis six years ago, a condition affecting approximately 0.3 cases per million, where an overproduction of insulin by the pancreas leads to severe and frequent low blood sugar levels. Initially, she responded well to medical management under Dr Shrinath Shetty, consultant endocrinologist, KMC Hospital Mangaluru. However, in the past year, her condition deteriorated, resulting in recurrent and increasingly severe hypoglycemic episodes, including a near-fatal incident where her blood sugar plummeted to approximately 20 mg/dL.
Dr Shrinath Shetty stated, “Nesidioblastosis is a challenging condition due to its rarity and difficulty in managing the fluctuating insulin levels. When medical management failed, surgical intervention became the necessary course of action to prevent further life-threatening episodes.”
After consulting with multiple specialists and weighing the risks and benefits, Neha opted for surgery, understanding that it would result in lifelong diabetes but eliminate the immediate threat of severe hypoglycemia.
Dr Karthik K S, informed, “We thoroughly discussed the surgical options with Neha, including partial versus total pancreatectomy, and the implications of lifelong endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function replacement. Given the severity of her condition, a total pancreatectomy was deemed the most appropriate course of action.”
The complex surgery, performed by Dr Karthik K S along with Dr Sathyanarayan Bhat, consultant GI surgeonand Dr Karthik Prabhu anesthesiologist was completed without any perioperative complications. Post-operatively, the patient faced the challenge of “brittle diabetes” due to the absence of insulin production, which was meticulously managed by Dr Shrinath Shetty.
Furthermore, the management of digestive enzyme replacement was critical, requiring the expertise of Dr Anurag Shetty, consultant gastroenterologist, and chief dietician Aruna Mallya, who ensured optimal nutritional support.
Neha has completed her post-operative follow-ups and is recovering well, with plans to return to her work in Bengaluru.
Saghir Siddiqui, regional chief operating officer, KMC Hospital Dr BR Ambedkar Circle, Mangaluru added, "We are proud of the remarkable outcome achieved for Miss Neha, which reflects our commitment to advancing medical care through innovation and teamwork. This case is a testament to the skill, resilience, and compassion of our healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to improve lives."
This successful outcome underscores KMC Hospital Mangaluru’s expertise in managing rare and complex medical conditions through advanced surgical techniques and comprehensive multidisciplinary care.
About Manipal Hospitals
As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is among the top healthcare providers in India serving over 7 million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable, high-quality healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to out-of-hospital care. With the completion of the acquisition of Medica Synergie hospitals and AMRI Hospitals Limited (acquired in Sept 2023), the integrated network today has a Pan-India footprint of 37 hospitals across 19 cities with 10,500+ beds, and a talented pool of 5,600+ doctors and an employee strength of over 18,600.
Manipal Hospitals provides comprehensive curative and preventive care for many patients from around the globe. Manipal Hospitals is NABH, and AAHRPP accredited and most of the hospitals in its network are NABL, ER, and Blood Bank accredited and recognized for Nursing Excellence. Manipal Hospitals has also been recognized as the most respected and patient-recommended hospital in India through various consumer surveys.