Udaipur Baby Boy Tiniest to Undergo Successful Heart Surgery

The baby was born 28 weeks prematurely and had to be operated with special miniature equipment.

Image used for representational purpose. (Photo: iStock)

A premature baby underwent a heart surgery, merely 15 days after his birth, making him the tiniest to have undergone the procedure.

Weighing 470 gram at birth, the baby was born 28 weeks prematurely, with underdeveloped lungs and heart complications, among other health malfunctions.

When he was discovered to be facing breathing difficulties, the baby was shifted under expert care. Later, he was identified with a condition where the aorta and the pulmonary artery were connected.

A team of experts, from Geetanjali Medical College & Hospital and Jeevanta Hospital in Udaipur city, conducted the surgery successfully.

Generally, the connection between the two veins dissolves or disconnects upon birth. In cases where it doesn’t, the condition is cured through the intake of medicines. However, when the baby did not respond to any of the medicines prescribed, the doctors resorted to surgically correcting the condition.

Speaking to The Times of India, Dr Sanjay Gandhi, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon said:

Operating on an infant, especially when he is so tiny, is very challenging and risky as the body parts are extremely premature. There were many risks involved such as respiratory distress syndrome, brain/lungs internal bleeding, feeding intolerance, developmental problems, etc, and above all survival rate up to 55% only.

Special miniaturised surgical equipment was used by the team to conduct the operation, that reportedly took half an hour to complete.

The baby had very weak muscles, rib cage, and almost all the body parts were very weak. It was like walking on a tightrope but we succeeded.

Dr Sunil Jangid, chief neonatologist and paediatric intensivist

Named baby SP Jain by the hospital, the patient now weighs 600 gm. He was conceived via IVF procedure, and was delivered by his mother through a lower segment c-section.

The surgery was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit, and the baby is currently in the ICU for the recovery process.