Heart surgery performed on 29-week-old foetus

For the first time in Kerala, a team of surgeons operated on 29-week foetus to relieve narrowing of the exit of its heart chamber.

Kochi: For the first time in Kerala, a team of surgeons operated on 29-week foetus to relieve narrowing of the exit of its heart chamber. The heart was accessed through the mother’s abdomen using ultrasound guidance and a valve was widened.

The procedure called ‘aortic valvuloplasty’ was performed by the surgeons of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre. The 29-week foetus suffered from aortic stenosis — which causes restricted blood flow through the heart valve — and ran the risk of heart failure.

The baby is expected to be born with a normal blood circulation. The mother and the foetus are said to be stable after the procedure performed by the team of surgeons led by Balu Vaidyanathan.
“It is expected that over the ensuing weeks till the pregnancy reaches term, the ventricular function will recover and baby will be born with a stable circulation at birth,” he said.

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