Jaipur, February 24, 2025.
An uncommon stenting procedure was successfully performed on an 18-day-old infant by surgeons at AIIMS Jodhpur to fix a rare congenital heart defect Saturday.
The infant was born at AIIMS Jodhpur with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which is caused by problems during development of the heart. PDA is an opening between two major blood vessels leading from the heart (the aorta and pulmonary arteries), and while a small PDA may cause no symptoms, a large one may cause poor eating, failure to thrive, or breathlessness.
Medical assessment of the infant found both its aorta and pulmonary arteries originated from the right ventricle, coupled with an inadequately developed pulmonary valve. Despite oxygen support, the infant’s saturation levels deteriorated to under 50%.
With the infant exhibiting blue discolouration shortly after birth, the medical team transferred it to the neonatal ICU, where Dr Neeraj Gupta, professor of neonatology, conducted a 2D echo and identified dextrocardia. Further exam confirmed insufficient blood flow to the infant’s lungs.
