A Successful Surgery On A Grape-Sized Heart Of Foetus In AIIMS

The AIIMS, Delhi won a ‘Grape-sized’ heart. The hospital was able to perform a successful balloon dilation surgery in a baby’s grape-sized heart in the mother’s womb. The intricate surgery was performed in just 90 Seconds said the senior doctor from the team of Cardiothoracic Sciences Centre at AIIMS.

The surgery was performed on a 28-year old woman, who had 3 miscarriages earlier. She was informed about the cardiac conditions of her foetus which was critical. The couple could not afford to lose the child. So they chose to continue the pregnancy and trust the treatment that could cure their unborn child.

The procedure took place at the Cardiothoracic Sciences Centre, AIIMS. The team of interventional cardiologists and fetal medicine specialists made the operation possible with their perseverance and skills as doctors.

Balloon dilation of an obstructed valve

This procedure is called Balloon dilation of an obstructed valve in the baby’s heart. The procedure is carried out under ultrasound guidance. The senior doctor explained, “We placed a needle through the mother’s abdomen into the baby’s heart. Then, using a balloon catheter, we opened the obstructed valve to improve blood flow,” was the explanation of the doctor who performed the surgery.

”We expect and hope that the baby’s heart will develop better and the heart disease will be less severe at birth,” added the doctor.

The doctor said that such a procedure can have a risk of life of the fetus and has to be performed with utmost care. “Such a procedure is very challenging as it can risk even the life of a fetus that also it has very precisely. Everything has to be done under all ultrasound guidance. Commonly all the procedures we do under angiography, but this can’t be done. Everything has to be done under ultrasound guidance. And then it has to be done very quickly because you’re going to puncture the major heart chamber.

Henceforth, if something goes wrong, the baby will die. It has to be very quick, shoot and dilate and come out,” the senior doctor from the team of Cardiothoracic Sciences Centre at AIIMS said.

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Post Surgery observations

The team has conveyed that, “The fetus and the mother are both doing well after the procedure. The teams of doctors are monitoring the growth of the heart chambers to ultimately determine the baby’s future management.”

They have also highlighted that early discovery of heart diseases; especially in womb is very beneficial. If the same is cured in the mother’s womb the future of the child will be healthier and much better. The growth of the baby will be normal without much issues.