Cardiology

Wockhardt Hospitals Infuses Life in A Newborn

This rare cardiac complication in neonates requires to be addressed in a critical window period of just a few hours of the baby's birth

The paediatric cardiac team at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai performed yet another life saving exemplary surgery on a four-hour-old baby giving an elixir of life to the new born. Paediatric cardiac consultants at Wockhardt Hospital have successfully performed a critical two-hour beating heart surgery to allow the flow of blood from the baby's heart to her lungs, thereby enabling the child to breathe normal.

This life-threatening rare cardiac complication in neonates, called pulmonary atresia, requires to be addressed in a critical window period of just a few hours of the baby's birth. Explained Dr Suresh Joshi, Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, who operated upon the baby, "In her case, the pulmonary valve of the heart which controls blood to the lungs was not developed therefore no blood was reaching the lungs." The child, however, was able to stay alive for a few critical hours due to ductus arteriosus, a valve that is meant for its fetal existence only. This valve shuts close naturally after birth and the corrective surgery was required within this window."

According to Parag P, father of the baby, the couple became aware of the condition of the baby in the 27th week of pregnancy. "I and my wife took a collective and speedy decision to treat our child as early as possible after her birth," he said.

"We were able to perform the lifesaving surgery immediately after birth because the crucial foetal echocardiography was performed on the baby during the second trimester through which the diagnosis of pulmonary atresia was made," said Dr Swati Garekar, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Wockhardt Hospitals.

Minutes after her birth, out of a planned caesarian section in a private city hospital the baby was shifted to Wockhardt Hospitals at Mulund in a cardiac ambulance. Within four hours of her birth, the baby was wheeled in for a beating heart BT shunt procedure wherein a synthetic tube (shunt) was inserted to connect a new artery— the sub clavian artery— to the pulmonary artery. The sub-clavian artery supplies blood to the arms but is now redirected to share supply to the arms and the lungs.

Said Dr Snehal Kulkarni, Paediatric Cardiologist, Wockhardt Hospitals, "In India, over 2.5 million children are born with heart defects every year and many lives are lost due to lack of proper infrastructure, awareness, and poor planning at time of birth. Some three per cent of these cases are of those born with pulmonary atresia. Timely detection and early treatment can not only save a child but also help him lead a normal and healthy life."

Said Dr Swati Garekar, Paediatric Cardiologist at Wockhardt Hospitals, "Foetal echocardiography is used to diagnose heart defects before a child is born. The diagnosis done through foetal echocardiography helps in treating the heart defect in the child at an early stage especially when many times some interventions needs to be done immediately after the birth. Since foetal echocardiography was done in this case the defect was identified and immediately after her birth the baby was brought to Wockhardt Hospitals for treatment."

"If abnormalities of the foetal heart are discovered by a prenatal screening procedure, this special examination of the heart of can be performed with a referral from a physician which will help identifying the defect at the right stage, perform corrective procedures and reduce the mortality and morbidity rate," she added.

EH News Bureau