A three-year-old boy is now on the road to recovery after he successfully underwent a surgery in Trinidad and Tobago to treat a severe medical condition called Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV).
His surgery was organised by the Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA), which said that he will now have follow-up care and monitoring by a local medical team, to ensure he progresses well.

Prior to the surgery, the parents of young Ismaeel Knights sought treatment for their son at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Pediatric Unit, where he presented symptoms and signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
However, an ultrasound was performed and revealed bilateral hydronephrosis which is the swelling of both kidneys due to a build-up of urine.
Further evaluation by his medical team at GPHC, with dilatation and radiology imaging of the prostatic urethra, suggested that he had PUV.

“PUV are obstructive membranes that develop in the urethra (tube that drains urine from the bladder). The valve can obstruct or block the outflow of urine through the urethra. When this occurs, the bladder, ureters and kidneys become progressively dilated, which can lead to damage,” SHEA said.
Based on these previous findings, Knights urgently needed posterior urethral valves ablation, which is not currently available in Guyana.

As a result, he was referred to a doctor in Trinidad who specialises in the procedure and agreed to treat Knights in Trinidad.
SHEA Charity accepted the child’s case and sponsored this life altering surgery. They worked with his medical team to finalise the details of his treatment and transfer.

“This process has been very difficult and painful for the three-year-old, since the tube needed constant cleaning and replacement. He spent a significant amount of time going in and out of the hospital due to infections,” SHEA said in a Facebook post.
The organisation added: “The surgery was completed on Thursday, June 15, and he did extremely well. He returned to Guyana and into the loving arms of his father. He no longer needs a catheter and as you can see, he’s very happy.”

The organisation’s mission is to provide medical aid and humanitarian services to people in impoverished countries, mainly Guyana and the Caribbean.