Rare Heart Surgery On 3-Month Baby Done Successfully!

surgical operationSurgeons at the BGS Global Hospital, Bangalore have successfully performed a surgical operation on a three-month-old infant, who was suffering from a rare heart tumour.

Dr. Bharat Dubiety, consultant cardiac surgeon at the hospital, told that the intracardiac tumors in babies were very uncommon.

He also said that the occurrence of rhabdomyoma, which involves the heart muscle, is 1 in 17,000.

Dr. Bharat said that test performed on the baby boy revealed a big tumor in the right ventricle of the heart measuring 3.5 cm length, 4 cm breadth and 2.5 cm thickness.

More than 85 per cent of the right ventricle was occupied by tumor obstructing the flow of impure blood to the lungs where it gets purified.

The condition called 'Rhabdomyoma' had occupied almost the entire right ventricle (pumping chamber) of the heart, which blocked the flow of impure blood to the lungs where it gets cleansed.

Around 33% of infants suffering from the problem die during the first week of birth, and 80% of them don't make it to their first birthday.

"This could lead to backlogging of the blood in the liver due to right heart failure, which if untreated is fatal", said Dr. Dubey.

Dr. Dubey said that four hour surgical operation was carried out on April 24, and its long-term results are good.

He also said that the baby was kept in the ICU for 48 hours on ventilator support.

After week's time, the baby was shifted to the ward and is progressing well.

Dr. S P Manoj, cardiac surgeon of the hospital, said the majority of the angiograms were performed through the radial route at the advanced flat panel cardiac cath lab, which makes angiograms a daycare procedure.