Hundreds of platinum coils were used in a groundbreaking medical procedure to repair a baby's brain in the US.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette has reported on the new procedure which used the platinum coils to help repair rare blood vessel malformation in the brain of Kade Casteel, a one-year-old child from Baton Rouge in the US.

Dr Michael Horowitz, director of neuroendovascular surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, carried out the procedure, in which hundreds of platinum coils were placed in the child's brain to reduce the torrent of blood caused by abnormal connections in the brain.

The operation, which took place last year soon after Kade had been born, has helped to reduce the burden on his heart and the child was able to celebrate Christmas at home last week thanks to the surgery.

The procedure could be a breakthrough for the way in which platinum coils are used in surgery.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd