Media Release

Mangaluru, Jun 7: Parents of two day year old girl baby of Padma (name changed) was devastated when they learnt that their baby had a complex heart defect. She was referred to AJ Hospital, Mangaluru with complaints of bluish discoloration of lips and fingertips along with poor feeding and lethargy. She was evaluated by Dr Prem Alva, interventational pediatric cardiologist. Baby had low oxygen level of 62 percent. She was diagnosed to have a large hole in the heart and the blood supply from the heart to the lungs was 100 percent blocked. This is a complex heart disease called Mal-alligned VSD with pulmonary atresia. She was admitted in the newborn ICU. Baby required a surgery for making a blood supply to the lungs. It was decided to do a Pin Hole Procedure through a blood vessel in the neck of the baby.

A Hybrid Heart Procedure was planned. Senior cardiologist surgeon Dr Jayashankar Marla did an arterial cut down of the carotid artery. This is a blood vessel from the heart to the brain. Through this opening Dr Prem Alva, interventional pediatric cardiologist, did the procedure where a catherer was passed into the baby’s lung blood vessel and PDA Stenting was done. Cardiac anesthesia during the procedure was administered by Dr Gururaj Tantry and Dr Suhas.

The Stent allowed free flow blood supply to the baby’s lungs and the oxygen improved from 62 percent to 93 percent after the procedure. Dr Shriyan, chief neonatologist played the important role of ventilation and management of the critical baby in the newborn ICU. The procedure was done free of cost to the patient through government scheme.