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Manipal, February 1: An eleven day old baby was successfully operated by a team of Kasturba Hospital doctors led by Dr Aravind Bishnoi, CTVS Surgeon here recently to correct an abnormality identified as Transposition of Great Arteries (TGA), a serious defect in the heart. The baby is recovering well and the parents are extremely happy with the operation and care given at the hospital. 

Speaking to media persons during the press meet on 1st February at Kasturba Hospital Hall, the doctors said the baby, Sharan (name changed) was delivered in a hospital in Udupi and the parents observed that the child had difficulty in breathing and also had rapid heart rate and cool and moist skin. The treating doctors then referred the child for further treatment. 

The baby was just one day old when he was brought for treatment to Dr Leslie Lewis Neonatologist at Neonatal ICU at Kasturba Hospital. On diagnosis it was identified as TGA by Interventional Cardiologist Dr Padmakumar. A condition which occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. The large vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs, and to the body are connected in a "swapped" manner. The Oxygen saturation was less and this was well taken care at the sophisticated Neonatal ICU.

Baby Sharan was then referred to Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery. Dr Aravind Bishnoi, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon & Associate Professor Dept of Cardio Vascular and Thoracic Surgery along with a team of doctors performed surgery to correct the defect. “The infants who undergo delicate TGA surgical repair including the arterial switch surgery will grow and develop normally, Dr Bishnoi added. Post-surgery, Neonatologists under the unit of Dr Leslie Lewis provided recovery care and the child has recovered well in quick time.

Dr Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent, Kasturba Hospital Manipal said that “The occurrence of Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is very rare. To perform the surgical intervention on a newborn baby, high level of skillset and precision is essential. Kasturba Hospital now has the services of trained paediatric Cardio Thoracic Surgeon Dr Arvind Bishnoi to attend to these cases. Further, in such cases pre-operative and post-operative care including the Neonatal ICU plays very significant role in the recovery of the baby”.

“Normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium from the body, travels to the right ventricle, then is pumped through the pulmonary artery into the lungs where it receives oxygen. Oxygen-rich (red) blood returns to the left atrium from the lungs, passes into the left ventricle, and then is pumped through the aorta out to the body. In transposition of the great arteries, the aorta is connected to the right ventricle, and the pulmonary artery is connected to the left ventricle — the opposite of a normal heart’s anatomy.

Fetal cardiac echocardiography is the only way to detect this at early stages.

Earlier these type of cases were referred to Bangalore for surgical intervention. But there was no guarantee that Baby will survive till Bangalore. Further, for transportation arrangements, Doctor, Nursing staff and quipped ambulance were necessary and the expenses would come upto 60,000/-.

According to the medical experts, such babies would not survive beyond a month and surgery is the only way for survival.

Dr. Leslie Lewis, Dr Tom Devasia, Dr. Aravind Bishnoi and Dr. Avinash Shetty, Medical Superintendent were present.