Pune (Voice news service):- A multidisciplinary team of doctors at Noble Hospitals and Research Centre recently conducted Balloon Aortoplasty on a very low birth weight premature baby with Coarctation of aorta i.e. abrupt constriction in a main blood vessel coming out of the heart supplying the blood to the body. The baby is fit to be discharged after life saving procedure and 20 days of intensive care in NICU.
Explaining the case Dr Anil Khamkar : Senior Consultant Neonatologist and Head of Academics NICU at Noble Hospitals and Research Centre said that a very low birth weight preterm baby weighing 1500 grams was transferred to us within a couple of hours of birth from a nearby hospital . The Baby was born prematurely at just 7.5 months of pregnancy (32.5 weeks) by Caesarean section as her heart rate was unstable inside the mother’s womb. On admission the baby was blue, was in respiratory distress, oxygen levels and blood pressure were low. He added that 2D echo pointed out to Coarctation of aorta . Such babies may do well for the initial few days as they have an alternate blood supply through Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).
(The ductus arteriosus (DA) is a normal fetal artery connecting the aorta and the main lung artery (pulmonary artery). The ductus allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth. Every baby is born with a ductus arteriosus. After birth the opening is no longer needed and it usually narrows and closes within the first few days.
Dr Prabhatkumar: Senior Pediatric Cardiologist at Noble Hospitals and Research Centre said that on the 10th day as PDA became small this baby started having respiratory distress and heart failure. Balloon dilatation of a narrow part of the aorta and restoration of the blood supply is the only way to save such a baby. On 12th day Balloon dilatation of Coarctation was performed in our Cardiac cath laboratory. The procedure involves positioning a balloon in the narrowed portion of the aorta. The balloon is then slowly inflated to widen the aorta.
The procedure was assisted by Anaesthesiologist Dr. Nilesh Wasmatkar with his team and Neonatology Fellow Dr Rohit Borkar.
Dr Anil Khamkar added that it is worth mentioning here that performing such a procedure in a 1500 grams baby is rare and requires expertise, experience and team work . This procedure took more than two hours .
The gold standard to find out the success of the procedure is 2D echo and it pointed out to successful opening of the vessel normalising the blood supply.
Dr. HK Sale, Executive Director Noble Hospitals and Research Centre said that this case reflects the multidisciplinary team effort and coordination which was crucial in such challenging situations .
Dr Dilip Mane, Managing Director congratulated the team. He emphasised that our mission is to provide superior quality integrated healthcare to everybody at an affordable cost.
Dr PD Pote, HOD Pediatrics and Director said our NICU team is offering comprehensive care to very tiny and sick babies. We have team of expert consultants in the field of Neonatology with Dr Abhay Mahindre, Dr Anil Khamkar, Dr Sumit Bhavsar and backed up by qualified doctors like Dr Santosh , Dr Sujatha, Dr Rohit, Dr Sangita and Dr smita along with our staff nurses.
