Mother of Four Awakens From Coma After Rare Brain Surgery
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
A 33-year-old mother of four woke up from a three-month coma after undergoing a rare Deep Brain Stimulation surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center to treat severe, continuous epileptic seizures. She is now conscious and communicating, with a long rehabilitation ahead.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Mother of four awakens from three-month coma after rare brain surgery.
- Deep Brain Stimulation surgery used to treat severe epileptic seizures.
- The patient is now conscious and communicating with family.
- She faces a long and complex rehabilitation process.
- Doctors describe the case as rare with low recovery chances.
A 33-year-old mother of four has regained consciousness after three months in a coma, following a rare brain surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. The woman, identified as 'A', can now recognize her surroundings and communicate with her family. Her condition began several months ago with fluctuating fevers, which rapidly deteriorated into continuous, life-threatening epileptic seizures. She was placed in an induced coma and ventilated, and treated at another hospital for two months with high-dose anti-epileptic drugs, biological treatments, and a vagus nerve stimulator, but her condition did not improve.
She was then transferred to Hadassah Ein Kerem, where a multidisciplinary team performed invasive brain mapping. This revealed a network of abnormal brain activity fueling the seizures on both sides of her brain. Senior neurosurgeon Dr. Sami Hayman led a subsequent surgery to implant a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system. Four permanent electrodes were implanted to deliver precise electrical stimulation, disrupting the abnormal activity. Using DBS for such prolonged and severe epileptic seizures is considered exceptionally rare.
Days after activating the system, a dramatic decrease in her brain's electrical activity was observed, and the sedative medications were gradually stopped. "A week after the surgery, she began to respond. The fact that she woke up and is up today is a miracle," her husband shared. Dr. Hayman stated, "This is a rare and extreme case with very low chances of recovery. By combining advanced technology and thinking outside the box, we succeeded not only in stopping the seizures but also in bringing the patient back from a prolonged coma to full consciousness." The woman will now begin a long and complex rehabilitation process.
