Apollo Hospitals - Successful Cardiac Surgery to a 11 day baby, Hyderabad

Apollo Hospitals - Successful Cardiac Surgery to a 11 year Baby, Hyderabad

Baby was suffering from a critical congenital heart ailment 'Ebstein's Anomaly'
A high-risk surgery performed for the first time in the country

The Peadiatric Cardiology team at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, successfully performed a complex and rare cardiac surgery on a prematurely born tiny baby suffering from Ebstein's Anomaly - a critical congenital heart ailment.

This was announced by Dr. Girish Warrier, Senior Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon; Dr. Kavitha Chintala, Paediatric Cardiologist; Dr. Meena Trehan, Cardiac Anaesthetist and Critical Care Specialist; Dr. Sharmila Kaza, Paediatrician & Dr. Prameela Sekhar, Obstetrician, on Friday at a at a press conference. The baby with his parents was present on the occasion.

Baby of Shaheen (name changed for privacy had a very abnormal right side heart valve (Tricuspid valve) called Ebstein's Anomaly, where the valve is abnormal and leaks profusely. He also had atresia of pulmonary valve, which meant that no blood flow was going to his lung from the heart for oxygenation. This life threatening abnormality was detected by the doctors at Apollo Hospitals when the baby was still in the womb through a fetal echocardiography.


A medical team atApolioHospital,JubileeHills Hyderabad,Pediatric cardiologist, Obstetrician, Neonatologist and Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon took utmost care to meet any contingency during the birth of the baby considering his precarious medical condition. The baby being born prematurely at 34 weeks of gestation coupled with growth retardation presented a challenge to the team.

Initially the team put himon ventilator support soon after birth and hoped to manage him medically for a few months before surgery could be planned.
However, a natural connection between his aorta and the artery to the lungs called ductus arteriosus was closing. Hence this connection had to be kept open using a special medicine for taking blood to the lungs for oxygenation.

The closure of the artery would have snuffed life out of the baby and therefore it was imperative that cardiac surgery to restore blood flow to lungs was performed on war footing. The surgery was especially challenging because of his deteriorating condition, tiny baby size, small size of the heart (no bigger than an adult thumb) and organs. The task was daunting and the team had to perform the surgery with great dexterity, says Dr Girish Warrier, Senior Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, who led the team in performing the surgery.

After a detailed consultation with the family, the team decided to go ahead with surgery on September 14th, albeit at a high risk, since without surgery, the child would not have survived, tiny size. The child had to be placed on cardiopulmonary bypass as preparatory to working inside the heart. Being only 1.2 Kg at birth and 11 days at the time of surgery, specially designed circuitry had to be used to place the child on bypass. He required an urgent tube graft that would send blood from his aorta to lungs.

However, leaving his tricuspid valve leaking so badly would have jeopardized the function of his heart and ultimately the recovery.

The leaking tricuspid valve was closed using a patch. Thereafter a shunt was created to provide reliable source of blood supply to the lungs for purification. The child tolerated the procedure well and was taken off the bypass machine and then shifted to the intensive care unit. He gradually recovered from the surgery and was shifted to the ward on the 14th post-operative day.

The infant needed a multidisciplinary team approach right from being inside the womb to his recovery that involved Paediatric Cardiologist Dr Kavitha Chintala, Obstetrician Dr. Prameela Sekhar, Cardiac Anaesthetist and Critical Care Specialist Dr Meena Trehan, Paediatrician Dr Sharmila Kaza, residents, fellows, nurses and ancillary staff.

Dr Girish Warrier commented/' Cardiac surgery in such tiny children requires an advanced infrastructure and a highly trained staff who form the backbone of any successful team. Additional challenges to his surgery were nutrition and infection control[ but he is now recovering well and is planned for discharge in a couple of days from the hospital. This type of surgery is a high-risk surgery which has not been performed till date in India and Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad is proud to be a pioneer in this field'.

About Apollo Paediatric Cardiac Care

Paediatric Cardiac surgery is a highly specialized, resource intensive specialty which requires enormous infrastructural and financial support. It is a specialty which is not readily available throughout the country. Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad has provided specialized infrastructure in the form of Paediatric Cardiac ICU and Operation Theater equipped with highly advanced equipment. Numerous underprivileged children have been provided world class Paediatric Cardiac care at Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad with support from various governmental schemes like Aarogyasri Health Scheme, generous corporate and individual donors. Having established one of the oldest Paediatric Cardiac Services Department in Hyderabad in 2003, Apollo Hospital has endeavoured to reach out to as many children suffering from congenital heart disease as possible, irrespective of their social or economic background. It is in keeping with Apollo Hospitals' mission statement which is 'to bring healthcare of international standards within the reach of every individual'.

About Saving a Child's Heart Initiative (SACHi)

Saving a Child's Heart Initiative, SACHi, is an effort of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited to make good on its promise of ensuring affordable healthcare to the masses, especially those for whom advanced health care is beyond reach, be it geographically or financially.

As the name suggests, SACHi focuses on children who suffer from cardiac disorders, primarily congenital heart disease, which often requires extensive medical intervention, and even surgery. With a highly skilled and motivated team of doctors, Apollo and SACHi have touched the lives of at least 50,000 children, since 2003, with many more waiting for treatment

It is through generous sponsors, benefactors and donors that SACHi's vision of a healthier childhood for India is becoming sustainable. However, a lot more needs to be done for this dream to become a vibrant reality. More and more children today are suffering from complex congenital heart diseases which require urgent treatment. However, due to a paucity of funds, their families are unable to afford the requisite medical attention. This needs to be rectified and soon. So, it is up to the generosity of high-thinking individuals and socially inclined companies to now take up the cause of these young children who are the future of this country.

SACHi is always looking forward to forging rewarding, long-term partnerships with corporate and industrial enterprises to ensure regular delivery of medical treatment to children in need of it.

In our pursuit for dispensing with world class healthcare, it is our medical team which has forged the way forward. We have on board Dr. Girish Warrier, Dr. Kavitha Chintala and Dr. Meena Trehan, who alongwith the hardworking and dedicated staff at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills have made SACHi's endeavors fruitful.