First Patient Benefits From New iMRI Technology Supported by Our Charity Appeal

Funded by our £1.5m iMRI Appeal, our hospital’s new intraoperative MRI (iMRI) is transforming surgery for patients like David Mazilo, the first child to benefit from the  technology when he had brain surgery to prevent his seizures.

When David was only three years old, he suddenly fainted at home. His worried parents, Tinca and Ciprian, called 999 and the little boy was rushed to his local hospital under blue lights.

Doctors quickly examined David, but they could identify the cause, so he was sent back home and told to come back if the fainting reoccurred.

At first, David seemed back to his usual self, but just two days later, he suddenly fainted again. His worried family rushed him back to his local hospital, where he was kept overnight and sent for an MRI scan.

Initial scans weren’t able to identify the problem, but David’s symptoms continued to get worse. He began having frequent seizures, and his parents felt sick with anxiety.

Tinca explains: “Seeing our son so poorly was such a hard time for our whole family. We were heartsick, and the worry caused by not knowing what was wrong with him made things worse.”

David was eventually referred to our hospital’s specialist neurological team to see if they could make a diagnosis. Thankfully, an additional MRI scan gave them the answers they were looking for. David had a deep lesion on his brain, which was causing the epileptic seizures. The expert medical team were also concerned that the lesion might become more aggressive and could potentially become cancerous, so action was needed.

After months of monitoring, David, now aged four, was taken into surgery for an operation to remove the lesion, where he was put under general anaesthetic for almost ten hours. Tinca remembers: “There were so many emotions. I kept thinking about how many hours he’d be asleep and waiting for what would happen. I was so, so nervous. But the medical team explained how the iMRI would help our son. I trusted them completely.”

The iMRI is located next to a new purpose-built iMRI theatre, which allows our neurosurgeons to stop partway during surgery and re-scan David’s brain to get real-time imagery of his brain.

Previously, patients would have to be taken down two storeys for a scan, adding up to four hours to their surgery time. Having the iMRI just next door means they can scan there and then to ensure they’ve removed everything they needed to, reducing the risk of a second follow-up operation. It also reduces unnecessary fear and anxiety for families as they await a post-operative MRI, which was typically carried out up to three days after the operation before the new iMRI was in place.

David recently celebrated his fifth birthday

Since his operation, David has had an incredible recovery. Only three days after his surgery, David was eating normally and walking, and he’s now completely seizure-free. He’s back to his happy, active self, and has just started school.

Tinca continues. “All the staff at the Children’s Hospital were amazing and exceptional, and we’re so grateful they were able to use the iMRI during his surgery. We feel so lucky to be the first family and hope it can help so many other children like David.

“All the uncertainty we’ve faced, not knowing what would happen to our son, has been very stressful. But now our boy is so much better, laughing and playing like any other four-year-old. He’s very happy. And we’re so very thankful.”

David (left) with Mr Lo (right)