Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH), Coimbatore, has successfully performed a complex open-heart surgery on an extremely premature baby weighing just 1.7 kg and born at 33 weeks of gestation, marking a significant milestone in paediatric cardiac care in Western Tamil Nadu.

The baby girl, one of twins born to a financially disadvantaged family, was diagnosed before birth with a serious congenital heart defect in which the two major arteries of the heart are connected to the wrong chambers. As a result, the body does not receive adequately oxygenated blood. The parents were counselled about the condition and the need for surgery soon after birth. Following premature delivery by Caesarean section at KMCH, the baby’s oxygen levels gradually fell over the next few days, making surgery essential to save her life.

The baby’s extremely low weight and prematurity made the procedure particularly challenging. The parents were willing to proceed with the surgery but could not afford the treatment. Recognising the urgency of the situation, the hospital management approved the surgery on humanitarian grounds, with the hospital fully funding the procedure.

The baby underwent an arterial switch operation, in which the major arteries are surgically repositioned to restore normal blood circulation. The coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, also had to be carefully transferred during the procedure. Given the baby’s extremely small size, the surgery required exceptional precision. The operation lasted approximately eight hours, including 233 minutes on cardiopulmonary bypass and 130 minutes of aortic cross-clamp time.

The baby has recovered well, is active and taking feeds normally, and is expected to be discharged shortly. A particularly encouraging aspect of the successful surgery is the baby’s long-term outlook. She is expected to require medication for only about one month after surgery, following which she can lead a normal life like other children. The successful correction of the heart defect is expected to provide her with a better quality of life and normal longevity.

Dr. Nalla G. Palaniswami, Chairman, KMCH, congratulated the team on the achievement. “This unique surgery demonstrates the expertise, technology and multidisciplinary coordination available at KMCH. I congratulate Dr. K.S. Murthy and the entire team Dr. Vinoth Doraiswamy, Cardiologist; Dr. Vinoth Kumar, Intensivist; Dr. Kannan, Surgeon; Dr. Ramesh, Dr. Kappian and Dr. Rameez, Anaesthetists; Dr. Srinivasan, Dr. Balakrishnan and Dr. Abiramalatha, Neonatologists; and Ms. Tilagavathi, Perfusionist for their exceptional commitment and skill.”

Dr. Arun Palaniswami, Executive Director, KMCH, also congratulated the team and reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to supporting critical and life-saving care. “When our medical team told us that surgery was the only way to save this baby’s life, there was no question that financial constraints should prevent the treatment. We were pleased to support the surgery fully. The successful outcome is a matter of great satisfaction for the entire KMCH family. I congratulate Dr. Murthy and every member of the multidisciplinary team whose expertise and dedication made this possible.”

“This was an exceptionally challenging case because of the baby’s prematurity, extremely low weight and the complexity of the heart defect. In such a tiny baby, every aspect of the procedure requires extraordinary precision. The successful outcome was the result of meticulous surgery, multidisciplinary teamwork and dedicated postoperative care,” said Dr. K.S. Murthy, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, KMCH, who led the surgery.

According to Dr. Murthy, cases involving babies with such extremely low birth weight and prematurity are exceptionally rare, with only a very small number of comparable survivors reported nationally. He described the surgery as a significant milestone in paediatric cardiac care in Western Tamil Nadu.

The baby’s parents expressed their deep gratitude to the doctors for the life-saving treatment and to the hospital management for fully funding the care. They noted that after seeking help at several other facilities without success, only Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) provided the critical care and financial assistance which their child needed.