· 14-year-old boy from Hayathnagar suffered for nearly five months with persistent vomiting and severe digestive distress
· Multiple hospital visits and investigations failed to identify the problem before doctors at CARE Hospitals diagnosed a rare SMA Syndrome
· Teen recovers completely after advanced minimally invasive surgery at CARE Hospitals, Malakpet
For nearly five months, a 14-year-old boy Shiva Durga Reddy from Hayathnagar lived through a nightmare that neither he nor his family could understand. What began as repeated vomiting slowly turned into constant suffering, severe weakness, inability to eat properly, and later even constipation. Hospital after hospital, test after test, and multiple medications brought no answers and no relief.
As the young boy’s health continued to deteriorate, frustration and fear gripped the family. Despite several consultations and investigations at different hospitals, doctors were unable to identify the exact cause behind his worsening condition.
Hope finally emerged when the family reached out to Dr. Bhupathi Rajendra Prasad, Sr. Consultant & Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology & Robotic Surgery at CARE Hospitals, Malakpet, through contacts in their local colony.
During the very first consultation, after carefully listening to the patient’s history and symptoms, Dr.Bhupathi suspected a rare and often-missed condition called Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) Syndrome— a disorder in which part of the small intestine gets compressed between major blood vessels, leading to persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, nutritional deficiency, and severe digestive problems.
To confirm the diagnosis, the patient underwent a Contrast-Enhanced CT (CECT) Abdomen scan at a reputed diagnostic centre in Hyderabad. Surprisingly, the initial report described the scan as normal, despite the suspected diagnosis being specifically mentioned in the clinical notes.
But Dr.Bhupathi was not convinced.
After personally reviewing the CT films and discussing the case in detail with radiologists using the scan CD, his suspicion remained strong. He advised a repeat evaluation, which finally confirmed the rare SMA Syndrome diagnosis, solving the mystery that had troubled the family for months.
Soon after, the teenager underwent a successful Laparoscopic Duodenojejunostomy, an advanced minimally invasive surgery performed to bypass the compressed portion of the intestine. The surgery was successful, and the boy was discharged within just three days.
Today, the teenager is completely symptom-free, eating normally, and has returned to his routine life.
Speaking about the case, Dr. Bhupathi Rajendra Prasad said, “This was not just about treating a disease, but about identifying a condition that many may overlook because the symptoms resemble common gastric problems. In patients with persistent unresolved symptoms, doctors must think beyond routine diagnoses. Careful clinical judgement and correlation with imaging are extremely important in arriving at the correct diagnosis.”
Dr. Praveen Kumar Edla, Chief Operating Officer, CARE Hospitals, Malakpet, said, “This case highlights the importance of expertise, persistence, and multidisciplinary teamwork in solving complex medical conditions. At CARE Hospitals, we are committed to delivering advanced and patient-centric care, especially in rare and challenging cases where timely diagnosis can completely change a patient’s life.”
Doctors say SMA Syndrome is considered a rare gastrointestinal disorder and is often difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic common digestive illnesses. Specialists caution that persistent vomiting, unexplained abdominal discomfort, sudden weight loss, and prolonged digestive complaints should never be ignored, especially when symptoms continue despite repeated treatment.
For this Hyderabad family, what once felt like an endless medical struggle has now become a story of recovery, hope, and a second chance at normal life.