Successful surgery on 900-gram newborn with congenital heart disease

The child-patient is the baby with the lowest birth weight that has received such a surgery so far. 

 Doctors taking care of the patient after the surgery

Ms. T.T.M.H, a native in Vinh Long province, was at 31 weeks pregnant and had early sign of labor. She was immediately hospitalized to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. After an operation, she delivered a 900-gram girl with congenital heart disease. The newborn was then transferred to Children’s Hospital No.1 for further treatment.

Doctor Pham Thi Thanh Tam, Head of Children’s Hospital No.1’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) said that the newborn got a serious congenital heart disease. She suffered from aortic stenosis that hindered oxygenated blood to pass to other parts of the body, threatening her life if a timely surgery could not be made.

The surgical team had to save each second to conduct the surgery because it was difficult to detect the newborn’s blood vessel and any small errors made could result in a fatality.

The surgery lasted about one hour.

At present, the newborn is provided with a breathing apparatus and shows sign of recovery. She is fed through a gastrostomy tube.

Translated by Mai Huong