20-day-old baby boy undergoes rare surgery

NEW DELHI: A 20-day-old baby successfully underwent surgery for “transposition of great arteries” at a city hospital. According to doctors, the baby weighed 2.2 kilograms  and had underwent arterial switch surgery for the treatment of the congenital heart disorder.

Doctors said that like any other parent, Ms Meena and Mr Vinod were delighted after the birth of their son, but their joy didn’t last for long as they got to know that he was suffering from “Transposition of Great Arteries,” which is a congenital heart defect where the large blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs and to the body are connected exactly opposite of a normal heart’s structure.  Adding to the criticality, the 20 days old child also had two big holes in his heart, along with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) causing breathlessness.

The critical surgery was performed by senior consultant, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals Dr Muthu Jothi and his team. Explaining about the case, Dr Jothi said, “Within a week after the child’s birth, the parents witnessed discoloration in his skin tone. His body was turning blue so the parents took him to a local doctor in their area where his echo was done. The reports revealed that he has transposition of great arteries.”