Life-changing Surgery Disconnects 6-Year-Old's Brain to Halt Rare Disease

A 6-year-old girl with Rasmussen's encephalitis, a rare neurological disease, underwent a 10-hour surgery called a hemispherotomy in California to disconnect half of her brain in an attempt to cure the condition. The surgery was performed by Dr. Aaron Robison at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Rasmussen's encephalitis is characterized by frequent seizures, inflammation of the brain, and progressive loss of neurological functions. The girl is now in the recovery phase, undergoing rehabilitation to regain motor skills, speech, and use of her left side.