Surgery conducted on 12-day-old baby to save life at SUM

Bhubaneswar: A delicate surgery was performed at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here recently to save the life of a 12-day-old baby boy suffering from a very rare congenital defect.

The baby suffered from respiratory distress from birth as it had a large hole on the diaphragm, a congenital defect, which separated the chest from the abdomen allowing the abdominal contents to enter the chest cavity, Dr. Antaryami Pradhan, Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery in the hospital, who conducted the operation, said.

He said the baby, treated outside for 10 days, was brought to IMS and SUM Hospital in low condition. He was gasping when brought to the hospital on May 10. 

“It was a challenging situation in the present circumstances as the baby’s oxygen saturation had plummeted to forty per cent. The baby had to be intubated and stabilized before the surgery could be done on May 12,” he said.

The surgery saved the life of the baby who recovered well and was discharged from the hospital on Thursday.