New Delhi: Mr. Pankaj and Mrs. Jyoti, residents of Sonepat, were blessed with a baby boy on 8th April 2016. However, the infant was a pre-mature baby who weighed only 1200 gms. On the day of his birth, doctors discovered that he had no pulse, heartbeat, perforation, or blood supply below his chest. Since birth he was dependent on oxygen, was unable to take feeds and had rapid breathing and heart beat rate.

After approaching several prominent hospitals in Sonepat and Delhi NCR region, Mr. Pankaj & Mrs. Jyoti came to Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh on 24th April 2017, sixteen days after his birth. The patient came to the hospital in a critical condition, with severe respiratory distress, heart failure, and absent lower limb pulses. Upon examination, Dr. Gaurav Garg, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, found that the descending aorta vein had narrowed severely and this had built massive pressure on his heart resulting in heart failure. As the baby was a premature, he also suffered from problems that are commonly seen amongst pre-mature children, including lungs, kidneys and brain.

Dr. Gaurav and his team immediately prepared the patient for surgery, and balloon angioplasty of coarctation was decided upon.During the surgery, a balloon was taken into his big artery (Aorta) from his legs and narrowing was successfully opened which required great skills and caution in such a small baby. The patient, now 7 months old is a bonny baby who, despite suffering from heart failure at such a tender age, can resume a healthy and active life going forward.

Only a few cases of angioplasty has been reported in India or in the world. Surgery in babies involved a high rate of complications including mortality rate of 15-20%, increased chances of bleeding, increased chances of stay on ventilator & increased hospital stay. However, balloon angioplasty decreases the risk by balloon angioplasty also causes risk of complication but we could get away safely in this case.