Updated
A 10-year-old Melbourne boy has been saved from a life-threatening kidney disorder, in a world-first medical procedure.
Matthew Gaythorpe was born with a rare kidney condition, which results in very high blood pressure.
He took 14 types of adult medication to try to stop his seizures and extreme fatigue, and last year suffered a stroke which made his condition worse.
A team at the Monash Heart Centre came up with the idea of conducting a procedure which is still fairly experimental in adults.
A specially-designed catheter was made and inserted through Matthew's arteries to disable misfiring nerves causing the problem.
Dr Ian Meredith spent a year battling for ethical approval for the surgery.
He eventually convinced an American company to make the special catheter, and says he hopes to have added decades to Matthew's life.
"This is the first time it's been done, and considerable deliberation was taken before we decided on this step," he said.
Matthew is now healthier and playing sport.
"I like playing cricket - I play matches on Saturday for that. And I like playing football," he said.
Topics: medical-procedures, liver-and-kidneys, diseases-and-disorders, health, melbourne-3000, vic, australia
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