Real-life Experience Shared by Patient Treated by Dr. Antonio Russi
Yaroslav's first epileptic seizure occurred at the age of 1.5, then the doctors decided that the seizures were caused by a lack of calcium in the body. Preparations containing a microelement did not bring relief, on the contrary, the number of attacks began to reach 30 per day. After consultations in medical institutions in different cities of Ukraine, the child was diagnosed with West's syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.
To prevent seizures, the doctors prescribed 2 drugs to the baby at once, but, as it turned out, only one helped. Another only oppressed the nervous system of the baby.
Professor Antonio Russi, one of the best specialists in the treatment of epilepsy in the world, picked up an effective medicine and its dosage.
Background of the disease
Yaroslav Miloichikov was born in the seventh month.
During an ultrasound, doctors determined that his mother had little amniotic fluid and sent him to the hospital for preservation. But droppers and medicines did not work. The pregnant woman realized that there was even less amniotic fluid, because her stomach was smaller. Doctors ordered an emergency caesarean section.
The child spent almost a day with a critically small amount of amniotic fluid. He lost his heartbeat, ”recalls the woman. - When Yaroslav was born, his weight was 920 g. He could not breathe on his own.
The newborn spent several days in intensive care and the doctors did not give any guarantees. Relatives breathed a sigh of relief only when the boy began to gain weight.
Warning and reality
Before discharge, the doctors warned that the child would require special care. The anhydrous period in his mother's stomach and premature birth affected his health.
'What is hidden behind these words, I did not immediately understand,' says the boy's mother.'Yaroslav was 3 months old, we were undergoing a routine medical examination. The doctor was alarmed by the development indicators, and he ordered us an MRI of the head. The examination was carried out under general anesthesia. The doctors decided that the child had hydrocephalus and two cysts of the brain, the work of the organ was disrupted, so the child did not develop.'
The baby was treated with drugs that helped remove water from the tissues surrounding the brain. The child began to independently hold his head, began to pronounce the first words.
But Yaroslav developed another disease.
Calcium deficiency or West syndrome
"At 1.5 years old, the child began to have convulsions. During the seizures, the baby’s breathing was disturbed, ”recalls the mother. “Doctors from Stryi suspected that the attacks were due to a lack of calcium in the body."
Treatment with preparations containing a microelement only aggravated the baby's serious condition, the attacks became more frequent - their number reached 30 per day. The parents decided to go for a consultation in Lviv, where the doctors performed an electroencephalogram on the child. He turned out to have epilepsy - a disease associated with the malfunctioning of individual neurons - brain cells.
To relieve the seizures, the doctors prescribed medicine to the child. At first, it seemed to the parents that it was working, since convulsions occurred less often, but after two months the disease again declared itself.
“This time we decided to go to Uzhgorod for examination,” says Yaroslav's mother. - There we again had an electroencephalogram, and they diagnosed it with West's syndrome. In addition to the medicine the child was already taking, the doctors prescribed another one.
The intensity of the seizures began to subside, but my mother decided not to miss the chance to consult with Antonio Russi, the world's leading specialist in epilepsy.
"I read information about the doctor and reviews of other patients on the site. I decided that Yaroslav and I needed to go for a consultation with a doctor at the Teknon Medical Center in Spain," recalls the boy’s mother.
The family collected money for this trip for a long time, but Bookimed organized a meeting of the eminent doctor with patients in Kyiv. Among them was little Yaroslav.
Parents of the child saved not only money, but also time. For a baby, this is tantamount to a chance for a fulfilling life. After all, the effectiveness of rehabilitation depends on the age of the child, and the smaller it is, the more successful the procedure.
Appointment with Antonio Russi: withdrawal of unnecessary medication
"During the consultation, Dr. Russi studied the medical history in detail, the results of examinations. He helped us with the correct diagnosis. In his opinion, the boy had neither hydrocephalus nor calcium deficiency. The child does have West syndrome, but the baby does not need to take two medicines, because relief is associated with only one. Another drug only depresses the child's nervous system. We stopped taking the medicine that was first prescribed to us. Now the seizures appear only against the background of high temperature," said Yaroslav's mother.
"The professor's consultation turned out to be very important for our family. Before her, we only thought about how to relieve seizures. Antonio Russi said that we need to think about the rehabilitation of the child, after which my boy can learn to walk and talk. It is impossible to postpone the procedure, because now the brain is actively developing. We did not expect to hear so much good news. Now I understand in which direction it is necessary to move, and we are raising funds for rehabilitation," - shared the mother of Yaroslav Miloychikova.
Advantages of epilepsy treatment abroad
Bookimed specialist comment: Patients with various forms of epilepsy often turn to us. To stop seizures, they need to find effective drugs, but in the CIS countries, treatment occurs with the help of 2-3 drugs, while abroad, about 30 drugs with different mechanisms of action are used. They are prescribed by epileptologists after a thorough diagnosis, study of the causes of seizures and how the body reacts to the drug, so the success of treating epilepsy abroad is many times higher. In the Teknon clinic (Spain) with Professor Antonio Russi, it is 95%. This is a very high figure, especially considering that the clinic accepts patients with complex forms of the disease.
After the diagnosis and selection of drugs, the patient keeps in touch with the doctor, so the treatment regimen can be adjusted if necessary.
To get a consultation with Antonio Russi, it is not necessary to travel to Spain — the doctor conducts online consultations especially for Bookimed patients..