Infant’s life saved with first of its kind procedure

Stating that the baby was brought to the hospital in a critical condition with cyanosis (blueness all over the body) and oxygen saturation level at 45 per cent (as against the normal level of 96 to 100 per cent), Dr Muthukumaran C S, consultant, interventional paediatric cardiologist at Apollo Children’s Hospitals said, “The baby had a condition called Pulmonary Atresia with Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). It means that the supply to the lungs from the heart was cut off. The child was surviving in the womb with the help of a tube (PDA) supplying to the lungs from the body tube (aorta). After birth, the PDA was nearly closed.”

Owing to the baby’s weight, the surgery proved to be very risky. Therefore, doctors deployed a stent in the closing PDA to keep it open. This procedure is done only in a few centres in the world, the doctor said.

Stating that the case was handled as an emergency, he added, “As arteries of infants are very small, we accessed the right femoral vein, through which we passed a wire, and with x-ray guidance reached the closing PDA through the heart. The baby will have to undergo a corrective surgery later.”