Chennai: A rare open-heart surgery was performed for a lowest weight pre-term child diagnosed with fungal endocarditis at Institute of Child Health recently.
Jayanthi from Mundiambakkkam was admitted in the hospital on the August 24 and her baby was diagnosed with Fungal Endocarditis. The pre-term baby weighing 1.72 kilograms had a fungal mass in tricuspid valve. Despite being treated with antibiotics and antifungal drugs for more than a month, the medicines did not respond and no resolution of the fungal mass could be sought.
Hence the preterm baby was taken for an open-heart surgery on November 26 and was successfully operated and external tubes were removed postoperatively on December 1. The patient has recovered very well and is now fit for discharge on the December 21.
“This is a rare occurrence in premature infants with more than 50 percent mortality in not operated patients and more than 80 percent mortality in operated patients. This patient is the lowest weight pre-term baby operated for open heart surgery in Tamil Nadu at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme,” said Dr G K Jaikaran, head, paediatric cardiothoracic surgery department.
