When baby Inaya was born, she weighed just 4.6 kilograms. Her parents had no way of knowing that within sixteen days of her birth, she would be fighting for her life. Diagnosed with congenital hyperinsulinism — a rare and life-threatening condition in which the pancreas produces dangerously excessive insulin — Inaya's blood sugar levels were in freefall. Every hypoglycaemic episode carried the silent threat of irreversible brain damage. In newborns, the brain depends almost entirely on glucose for energy. When that fuel disappears repeatedly, the damage is permanent and often invisible until it is too late. The medical team at Manipal Hospital Whitefield, Bangalore, threw everything they had at stabilising her. The highest concentrations of intravenous glucose were administered around the clock. Nothing worked. Her blood sugar continued to fall to critical levels. Dr. Kavitha Bhat, Consultant in Pediatric Endocrinology at Manipal Hospital Whitefield, watched the numbers with growing alarm. "Her condition was deteriorating despite receiving the highest concentrations of intravenous glucose," she said. "In newborns, the brain depends almost entirely on sugar for energy. When blood sugar falls repeatedly, the brain doesn't get enough fuel, which can cause permanent damage affecting learning, movement, and development. This damage is often silent and cannot be reversed." The team needed answers — fast. A specialised 18F-DOPA PET/CT scan — one of the most advanced diagnostic tools available for this condition — pinpointed the exact source of the problem. Deep within Inaya's pancreas, a tiny lesion measuring just 0.5 centimetres — no larger than a pea — was producing insulin uncontrollably. This was focal congenital hyperinsulinism. Unlike the diffuse form of the disease, focal hyperinsulinism can be potentially cured with surgery. If the surgeons could remove only the affected portion of the pancreas while leaving the rest intact, Inaya could grow up without lifelong medication, without insulin dependency, and without the metabolic complications that follow more aggressive surgical approaches. The diagnosis was a breakthrough. What came next was the hard part. Performing pancreatic surgery on an infant is extraordinarily demanding. Performing it on a one-month-old baby is in an entirely different category of difficulty. The anatomical structures are minuscule. The margin for error is essentially zero. The risks of conventional open surgery in a child this young — including removal of excess pancreatic tissue, future diabetes, and digestive complications — were significant. The team made a bold decision. They would use robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. Manjunath Haridas, Consultant in Colorectal, GI and Robotic Surgery, led the procedure. Alongside him was Dr. Arvind Sabharwal, Consultant in Pediatric Surgery. Behind them stood multidisciplinary teams from Pediatric Endocrinology, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Anaesthesia — every department working in precise coordination. The surgery was completed without complications. There was no blood loss. The moment the procedure concluded, Inaya's blood sugar levels stabilised — immediately and completely — eliminating any further need for glucose infusion. "There are very few reports of robotic pancreatic surgery in infants, and none of robotic pancreatic surgery in a one-month-old child," Dr. Haridas said afterward. "The achievement reflects what is possible when technology, expertise, and teamwork come together for the smallest and most vulnerable patients." Baby Inaya spent nine days in the NICU under close observation. She showed excellent recovery at every stage. She was discharged on oral feeds with minimal medication and no ongoing need for intensive glucose management. A one-month-old who had arrived at the hospital with her brain under constant threat left it with a future fully intact. Robotic surgery in infants remains one of the most technically demanding frontiers in modern medicine. The fact that this procedure was performed successfully in India — at a private hospital in Bangalore — signals something important about where Indian surgical capability now stands. It is not aspirational. It is demonstrably world-class. Medosist is India's most trusted doctor discovery platform, dedicated to celebrating the medical professionals who redefine what is possible every single day. Stories like Inaya's remind us why finding the right doctor matters so deeply. Discover India's top pediatric surgeons, endocrinologists, and specialists across five major cities at Medosist.com.