Toddler who was sick up to 20 times a day due to rare digestive disorder finally cured thanks to landmark surgery

A toddler who was violently sick almost every hour of the day for the first 18 months of her life has finally been cured. Leah Hamid, now two, suffered from a rare digestive disorder, which stopped her from digesting her food and caused chronic sickness. She slept through the night for the first time since her birth after specialist surgeons opened up an obstruction causing the condition.

Leah Hamid, now two, suffered from a rare disorder which stopped her digesting food and caused chronic sickness

Leah's condition, called duodenal stenosis, is a rare birth defect where a portion of the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) is narrowed. This prevents the stomach contents from flowing through at a normal rate. It's not known what causes the condition, although there may be a genetic link.

Fortunately, surgeons at The Children’s Hospital, Sheffield, were confident that surgery would resolve the situation. And, in a lucky twist of fate, Leah would be the first child with her condition to have a procedure that left no scar.  In the past, duodenal stenosis has been treated by an invasive operation, which leaves scarring. But rather than making an incision to access the duodenum, surgeons decided they could access it by putting a flexible telescope down Leah's throat.

She slept through the night for the first time ever after specialist surgeons opened up an obstruction causing the condition

During the three-hour procedure, they freed up the obstruction in her small intestine, leaving no scar or sign of surgery. Doctors snipped holes in the membrane covering the first part of her small intestine connecting her stomach to her digestive system using a balloon and electrical knife. Leah's mother Amanda, 34, said: 'She was like a different child after the operation, she recovered straight away and wasn’t sick. 'When she slept through the night for the first time ever I almost cried. My body naturally woke me up throughout the night to check on her and when I found her fast asleep it was amazing. I was so happy my baby was finally better.'

Now recovered, Leah can play with her sister Alisha and brother Callum again

Mrs Hamid, who also has five other children, Ashley 17, Adam 15, Alisha 11, Callum six and Cayden 18 months, continued: 'We are so grateful for the help the surgeons have given not only to Leah and me but to my husband and all our children.  'Now Leah is living a normal life we have much more time to spend as a family and I can concentrate on all my children equally.' Mr Sean Marven, consultant paediatric surgeon at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, who performed the operation with colleague Dr Mike Thomson, said: 'I believe this procedure has never been performed on a child with this condition in the UK before due to the rare specialist skills and equipment it requires. I decided the it was possible as my colleague is a rare paediatric endoscopist who has the skills to perform the procedure, and because we possess the specialist equipment needed, including a double channel operating endoscope which cost £64,000, and was funded by The Children's Hospital Charity.' He added: 'The operation was a complete success, Leah was in much less pain and had a quicker recovery. If it had been done the regular way it would have left a big scar. We don’t expect her to have any problems later in life.'

 Source: Daily Mail UK 

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