Traumatic Neurology in Hyderabad:
Emergency Neurosurgical Care for Brain and Spinal Cord Injury, and Specialist Rehabilitation for Concussion and Post-Trauma Syndromes at KIMS

Go to KIMS emergency (040-46324365) immediately if the person has: lost consciousness (even briefly); cannot remember the event or what happened before or after it; is confused, drowsy, or difficult to rouse; has worsening headache in the hours after injury; is vomiting more than once; has a seizure; shows weakness or numbness in any limb; has unequal pupils; has a wound to the scalp that is deep or will not stop bleeding; or sustained the injury at speed (road accident, significant fall). A headache alone after a minor bump with no loss of consciousness and no other features can be watched at home — but if any of the above features develop, come immediately.

Both are traumatic brain injuries, but they differ in severity and in what has happened to the brain tissue. In concussion (mild TBI), the brain is temporarily disrupted in function but no bleeding or structural damage is visible on CT or routine MRI. The neurons are shaken but not destroyed. Recovery typically occurs over days to weeks. In moderate or severe TBI, there is actual bleeding inside or around the brain (haemorrhage), bruising of brain tissue (contusion), or widespread axon shearing (diffuse axonal injury). These cause more persistent or permanent damage. The distinction matters because severe TBI may require emergency surgery (to remove a blood clot pressing on the brain) while concussion does not.

This is a medical emergency. Call 040-46324365 immediately. The most critical instruction: do not move the person without proper spinal immobilisation. Moving someone with an unstable spinal fracture without a neck collar and spine board can convert an incomplete cord injury (some motor and sensory function preserved) into a complete injury (no function below the level). At KIMS, the emergency team will: immobilise the spine; perform CT and MRI of the spine; assess the neurological level using the ASIA scale; and arrange emergency spinal decompression and stabilisation surgery if there is evidence of spinal canal compromise or instability. Timing of surgery within 24 hours of injury is associated with better neurological recovery.

What your son is experiencing is post-concussion syndrome (PCS) — the persistence of concussion symptoms beyond the expected 2–4 week recovery window. This affects approximately 15–30% of people after concussion and is not a sign that something is permanently wrong with his brain. It is not malingering or exaggeration. PCS reflects a combination of ongoing neuroinflammation, vestibular (balance system) dysfunction, autonomic nervous system dysregulation, and often a contribution from neck muscles injured in the same impact. The good news: PCS is treatable with the right multidisciplinary approach: vestibular physiotherapy, graded aerobic exercise under supervision, cognitive rehabilitation, and sometimes psychological support for the anxiety and mood changes that develop from weeks of feeling unwell. At KIMS, a specific PCS assessment and rehabilitation programme is available. Call 040-44885000.

It is possible, and you deserve a thorough, honest evaluation. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can only be definitively diagnosed after death, but the clinical diagnosis of Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES) is used for living patients and is defined as progressive cognitive, mood, or behavioural changes in someone with a documented history of repetitive head impacts — which your career in kabaddi provides. At KIMS, the assessment for TES includes: detailed cognitive testing (neuropsychological assessment across memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed); MRI brain with volumetric analysis; detailed mood and behavioural assessment; and an honest discussion of your head impact history. There is currently no approved treatment for CTE/TES, but many of the symptoms (depression, anxiety, cognitive difficulties) can be managed with appropriate support and medication. Call 040-44885000.

A haematoma is a focal collection of blood (extradural, subdural, or intracerebral) that CT detects easily. Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is different — rotational or deceleration forces shear axons throughout the brain at the grey-white matter junction, corpus callosum, and brainstem. These tiny microhaemorrhages and disrupted axons are mostly below CT resolution. That is why a patient can be deeply unconscious after a head injury with a normal-looking CT scan. MRI with DWI (diffusion-weighted imaging) and SWI (susceptibility-weighted imaging) is the right test — it picks up the microhaemorrhages and oedema that define DAI. KIMS has 1.5T and 3T MRI available 24×7 with these advanced sequences.

Yes, decisively. ISI-marked full-face motorcycle helmets reduce TBI mortality by approximately 40% and severe TBI by approximately 70%. Most fatal two-wheeler crashes in India happen within a few kilometres of home, at moderate speed, often without other vehicles involved — the rider falls and the unprotected head strikes the road. A half-helmet or a loosely strapped helmet is a fraction as protective as a properly fitted full-face helmet with the strap tightened. At KIMS, every TBI admission counsels surviving patients and their families about helmet compliance — and every life saved is one we did not need to bring to the operating theatre. Helmets work.