3-year-old recovers from surgery to fix rare condition

Sunday, May 11, 2008

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Rhett Lamb underwent surgery to correct a condition that doesn't allow him to sleep.

LAKELAND (Bay News 9) -- Rhett Lamb is tough.

The three year old underwent surgery to correct a condition called Chiari malformation that keeps him from sleeping. And in less than 24-hours after the major procedure Rhett was sent home -- to the shock of not only his parents but even hospital staffers.

"It blows my mind," said Shannon Lamb, Rhett's mother. "It does. It blows my mind."

The typical recovery after this type of surgery is two to three days in the hospital.

The Lambs won't know if the surgery worked on Rhett for another week or so.

More on Rhett

Doctors told the Lambs the surgery had a 50-50 chance of success.

Chiari malformation is a condition in which brain tissue protrudes into the spinal canal because the skull is abnormally small or misshapen, pressing on the brain and forcing it downward.

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