NE HEALTH BUREAU
CHENNAI, MAY 13
Apollo Hospitals, the trusted multi-specialty chain of hospitals, has successfully completed a lifesaving procedure on a One-Week-Old baby to treat Coarctation of Aorta, a life-threatening condition that occurs in newborn babies, a hospital release said.
This condition leads to narrowing of the large blood tube (aorta) that takes blood from the heart to other parts of the body. Coarctation of the aorta is hereditary, usually present at birth and involves other heart defects. If untreated in severe cases it can cause heart failure and death in babies.
A boy baby weighing 2.5 kg was referred to Apollo Children’s Hospital for treatment. On initial medical examination, the doctors observed shallow breathing and movement restrictions. Further assessments revealed that the main pipe that takes blood to the body was almost near complete blocked. The baby was suffering from a condition called Coarctation of the aorta.
In these critically ill infants, clinical condition is likely to worsen unless the obstruction is relieved immediately. Realizing the seriousness, a team of expert doctors comprising a Cardiologist, Paediatric Intensivist, Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Cardiac Anaesthetist were immediately assembled under Dr. CS Muthukumaran, Senior Interventional Pediatricic Cardiologist, Apollo Children’s Hospitals. The baby was taken for emergency balloon dilation.
The baby underwent all blood tests, including COVID screening. As the baby’s condition was worse the baby was taken for the procedure without waiting for the COVID results.
The team of doctors, including Dr Vasanthroopan, Dr Janeel Mustafa, Dr Swaminathan and Dr Rajagopal were brought together to perform the procedure.
All COVID precautions were taken. The right femoral vein [tube in groin that takes blood without oxygen to heart) was accessed. The initial Blood gas (This test is performed to measure the pH and the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide present in a sample of blood) showed a PH of 6.8 which is very less than that of the required normal PH value of 7.35.
Knowing the urgency of the situation, the team of doctors under Dr. C.S. Muthukumaran, Senior Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo Children’s Hospitals, quickly took a balloon catheter across the severe narrowing under X-ray guidance. The balloon was inflated relieving the obstruction which opened the supply to the lower part of the body.
Post procedure the obstruction had completely disappeared, the left ventricle of the baby was able to pump blood throughout the body with each heartbeat. The condition of the baby improved and the baby was shifted to ICU and kept under ventilation overnight. After a day of observation the baby was discharged.
Elaborating on the condition, Dr. C.S .Muthukumaran, Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo Children’s Hospitals said, “We were able to observe that the baby was turning blue, this is because of the poor blood circulation, and the baby’s pulse was diminishing, the baby had movement restrictions and also was suffering from shortness of breath. The baby was lucky as he was brought to Apollo Children’s hospitals within the golden hour, with the expert team we were able to save this baby- particularly during COVID times. The final COVID result was negative bringing a smile to all health care workers involved.”
