Rare surgery performed at AIMS

In what is claimed to be a first in the state, the procedure called foetal balloon aortic valvuloplasty was successfully performed to treat the severe failure of the heart’s left ventricle.

Under general anesthesia to the mother, the foetal heart was accessed through the maternal abdomen and the aortic valve dilatation was performed using a coronary angioplasty balloon-wire combination. The mother and the foetus are stable after the procedure.

After the procedure, foetal echocardiograms have showed signs of improving ventricular function, doctors said. The doctors are hopeful that when the pregnancy reaches term the ventricular function will recover and baby will be born with a stable circulation.

Team of doctors led by Dr Balu Vaidyanathan performed the surgery with the support of technical expertise provided by Dr Nageswar Rao, consultant pediatric cardiologist, CARE Hospitals, Hyderabad (the only other centre in the country which has performed the procedure).