Sheffield surgeon performs simultaneous brain surgery on two young boys

Saurabh Sinha operated on an eight-year-old and a 12-year-old at Sheffield Children’s Hospital last year.

The family of one of the boys, Owen Wilkinson, then eight, described how their son was rushed into theatre at the same time as the other patient.

His mother, Caroline, said he was first taken to hospital after a seemingly minor fall at his school in the Barnsley area, in October last year.

He was taken to Barnsley Hospital as he started to feel sick but he had to be transferred to Sheffield after it was discovered his injuries were more serious.

Deputy head teacher Mrs Wilkinson said: “When I was told Owen had a skull fracture and a severe bleed on the brain, it was as though I was in an imaginary bubble.

“You never think it will happen to your child.

“Your initial thoughts are ‘will he survive?’”

She said that while she was waiting at the Children’s Hospital with husband, Mark, they met another couple, whose 12-year-old son had also been rushed to surgery with exactly the same condition.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “What was even more incredible was that Mark recognised the other boy’s father from football.

“When we realised that the boys needed the same emergency operation it made us even more anxious about them.”

The hospital said it opened two theatres so Mr Sinha and his team were able to operate on the two boys simultaneously, saving both of their lives.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “When we were told that Owen was out of theatre and being taken to the intensive care unit the relief was unbelievable.

“We were told Owen was a very lucky boy and he was doing really well.”

She added: “Saving two lives like that at the same time takes such a highly skilled and dedicated team and we thank them all from the bottom of our hearts.

“We wouldn’t have Owen today without their care and dedication.”

Mrs Wilkinson said she is still in the touch with the other boy’s family and they are hoping to take the two youngsters out together at some point.

She said Owen’s family were determined to thank the hospital and have so far raised almost £4,000 to help fund specialist medical equipment for the hospital’s theatres.

The hospital said the money will go towards new endoscopic instruments which will enable surgeons to perform neurosurgery through the nose rather than by cutting through the skull.

Mr Sinha is one of the few paediatric neurosurgeons in the UK whose team is performing this kind of endoscopic transnasal operation on children.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “Mr Sinah is a very special man.”

David Vernon-Edwards, director of The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Our amazing staff like Mr Sinha are changing lives like Owen’s every day - our theatres staff perform 11,000 operations every year.

“We greatly value the support of families like Owen’s to ensure we can provide our surgeons with groundbreaking equipment to enable them to do the best job they can.”