Just after they arrive in the world, lies their greatest ordeal—-an open heart surgery. Newborns, as young as two- day-old, are regular patients at the PGI and their number is steadily rising.

The Department of cardiovascular surgery is conducting around two open heart surgeries on babies up to ten-day-old per week and nearly 50 children, newborns to 14-year-olds, are reporting every week in the special OPDs for heart related diseases.

Besides, 10-15 cardiac cases of paediatric emergencies are reported every day.

“Our youngest patient was a two-day-old baby, who was operated for an uncommon birth defect in the heart. Ever since we have set up the Advanced Cardiac Centre, the number of patients, including children has grown up steadily,” said Professor Rana Sandeep Singh, the department head.

Even as cases of congenital heart diseases are being regularly reported at hospitals, doctors say an open heart surgery is not required within a few days of birth in every case.

Only complicated defects where the flow of the blood to the heart is absolutely abnormal require surgery on such young patients.

“For instance, in case the total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), where there is abnormal flow of blood in the heart but unobstructed, we can wait for a year to let the child grow up, before performing the surgery. But if the nature of TAPVC is obstructive, wait of even a single day can be fatal,” said Dr Rohit Manoj Kumar.

The chances of developing complications in an open heart surgery on a very young patient are higher than those on adults or grown up children.

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