Srinagar, July 16, KNT: In a landmark medical achievement, the Department of Neurosurgery at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has successfully performed Jammu and Kashmir’s first direct vascular bypass surgery between the superficial temporal artery and the middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) in a patient diagnosed with Moya-Moya disease—a rare and progressive cerebrovascular disorder.
Moya-Moya disease, predominantly observed in East Asian populations, leads to the narrowing of arteries at the brain’s base, prompting the formation of fragile, compensatory vessels that appear like a “puff of smoke” on angiographic scans. The disease severely restricts cerebral blood flow, making patients—especially children—highly vulnerable to recurrent strokes and seizures.
The case at SKIMS involved an adult patient who had already suffered multiple strokes and was found to be suffering from this rare condition. Unlike children who can often be managed with indirect vascularization techniques like Encephalo-Dura-Myo-Arterio-Synangiosis (EDMAS), this adult patient required a more intricate and technically demanding direct bypass approach.
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In the first surgery of its kind ever performed in the Union Territory, the neurosurgical team led by Prof. Dr. Nayil Khursheed, along with Dr. Farooq Ahmad Ganie, Associate Professor of CVTS, and Dr. Zulfikar Ali, Additional Professor of Neuroanesthesia, conducted a six-hour operation to anastomose a healthy artery from outside the skull (STA) to a compromised artery inside the brain (MCA). This procedure allowed immediate augmentation of cerebral perfusion, significantly enhancing the patient’s chances of recovery and quality of life.
The intraoperative assessments confirmed excellent blood flow through the bypass, and the patient was discharged in a stable condition, marking an exceptional outcome for such a complex neurosurgical procedure.
SKIMS has previously gained recognition for performing indirect surgical interventions for Moya-Moya disease. However, this successful direct STA-MCA bypass now places the institute among the elite neurosurgical centers in India capable of offering high-end, direct revascularization procedures.
Speaking on the occasion, Director SKIMS, Dr. (Prof.) M. Ashraf Ganie, extended his heartfelt congratulations to the surgical team, applauding their exceptional skill, coordination, and dedication. He described the feat as “a groundbreaking moment that places SKIMS on the surgical map of India” and emphasized the institute’s commitment to pioneering advanced neurovascular care for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
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The Department of Neurosurgery also announced its intent to develop educational materials and surgical videos to aid capacity-building across neurosurgical centers in the valley, thereby creating a ripple effect of skill development and enhanced patient care.
This milestone underscores SKIMS’ unwavering pursuit of excellence in neurosurgery and its evolving capacity to deliver cutting-edge treatments to patients afflicted with rare and high-risk neurological conditions. [KNT]
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