Guyana Baby Receives Life-Changing Cochlear Implant At Apollo Hyd

Hyderabad: Baby Lavanya, a 9-month-old from Guyana, South America, born with profound hearing loss, has successfully undergone a complex cochlear implant surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. The procedure was made possible through the efforts of the Society to Aid the Hearing Impaired (SAHI) and the Sri Satya Sai organisation. Previously declined by multiple international centers due to a rare inner ear deformity, Lavanya’s case was accepted by Apollo’s expert ENT team, who carried out the surgery on May 17. The baby is now recovering well and beginning her journey toward hearing and speech.

In a remarkable story of resilience, hope, and international collaboration, Baby Lavanya, born on August 7, 2023, in Guyana, South America, has successfully undergone a complex cochlear implant surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. This milestone marks the beginning of her journey to hearing and speech, after being diagnosed with bilateral profound hearing loss said Tejesvi Rao, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Telangana Region Dr EC Vinay Kumar HOD of ENT at Apollo Hospitals said that born to parents Diveka Dhanraj and Satish Sakishnu of Indian origin, Baby Lavanya was unable to develop speech or respond to sounds due to her condition.

Despite seeking help at multiple medical centers across Guyana, the country’s limited healthcare infrastructure could not support the specialized surgery required. Further complications arose when radiological scans revealed cochlear hypoplasia and an anomalous cochlea on the left side, causing multiple international centers to decline performing the operation.

Dr K Rambabu, Sr Consultant ENT Surgeon Apollo Hospitals said the family explored options in neighboring Brazil, Venezuela, the United States, and Canada, but financial constraints made treatment in these countries unattainable.