Visakhapatnam: A two-month-old baby, weighing only 2.7 kilograms, was diagnosed with a rare and critical heart condition and brought to KIMS Cuddles Hospital in Visakhapatnam. The medical team immediately placed the baby on Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support and performed complex open-heart surgery three days later to correct the condition. ECMO is a life support system that temporarily replaces a patient's heart and lung functions when their own organs are too sick or weak. This case is notable as it is the first time ECMO has been used and a complete recovery achieved for such a young, low-weight infant in the state. Chief Neonatologist and Head of Neonatology, Dr. Nikhil Tenneti, and Chief Intensivist and Head of the Pediatric ICU, Dr. Santhosh Kumar Routhu, shared details.
“Normally, oxygenated blood from the lungs flows to the left atrium of the heart and then circulates throughout the body. However, in this baby’s case, the blood was flowing into the right side of the heart and mixing with deoxygenated blood, resulting in inadequate oxygen supply to the body. This condition, known as Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection (TAPVC), is rare, occurring in only 6 to 12 newborns out of 100,000. In only 2-10% of cases, it is detected before birth. The baby’s oxygen saturation was critically low at 43% when brought to the hospital. We decided to use ECMO support to raise oxygen levels and placed the baby on central VA ECMO. This procedure is highly challenging in young and low-weight infants. After three days of ECMO support, the baby showed some improvement, allowing us to proceed with open-heart surgery to correct the heart defect. Post-surgery care is crucial, especially in infants with low weight. Despite the challenges, the baby recovered well,” explained Dr. Tenneti.
Providing such specialized care in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in and around Visakhapatnam, is rare. The KIMS Cuddles team demonstrated exceptional expertise and dedication by performing ECMO support followed by open-heart surgery for this two-month-old, 2.7 kg infant. The medical team, led by Dr. Nikhil Tenneti, Dr. Santhosh Kumar Routhu, and Dr. Ravi Krishna, delivered critical care services that saved the baby's life. The team of cardiac surgery experts, including Dr. Anil Kumar, Dr. Sai Manikandan, and Dr. Shantipriya, not only performed the surgery but ensured the baby’s safety throughout the treatment period. The baby was discharged 25 days later in good health.
“This was a true test of our skills. The baby arrived in a very critical condition, and we had to act quickly. We placed all our hopes on ECMO, and it delivered positive results, allowing us to save the baby,” commented Dr. Nikhil Tenneti.
“Placing an infant on ECMO is extremely challenging. It requires constant supervision from specialists across multiple departments, with round-the-clock monitoring. We were delighted with the outcome and proud to have played a part in saving the baby's life,” said Dr. Santhosh Kumar Routhu.
