Omani infant gets a new lease of life in India

Muscat: Apollo Children’s Hospital has successfully performed a high-risk combined cardiac and tracheal surgery on an 11 month old Omani patient. The infant was said to be the first patient to receive surgery of this kind in India.
Yaseen Essa Salim Saleem AL Ruqaishi, a Down’s syndrome child who celebrates his first birthday this March, was diagnosed with congenital heart problems,as well asthe life threatening narrowing of airway passages. These conditions caused repeated respiratory infections and the increased risk of cardiac arrest for Yaseen. Omani doctors, realizing the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, along with effective pre- and post- operative care, referred Yaseen to Apollo Children’s Hospital in Chennai.
Due to problems breathing, the child was kept on a ventilator for two months prior to surgery. The team at Apollo Children’s Hospitalcoordinated the transfer of the patient from Oman and took care of all preoperative procedures.
However, upon arrivalthe child suffered a cardiac arrest and was revived by the intensive care team.
The combined cardiac and thoracic surgery lasted for six hours, with cardiac, thoracic, anesthesia and critical care teams working together to repair Yaseen’s heart defect and his narrow airway passage in a short span of time, and without risking the child’s life.
Talking about the risk involved in performing the procedure, Dr.Rajan Santosham, Thoracic Surgeon,said, “It was a very challenging procedure, considering the infant’s age and the fragile condition of both his heart and windpipe. But thanks to careful planning by our teams, from across cardiac to anesthesia, we were able to successfully perform the surgery.”
“The success of the procedure confirms the potential for safe and effective access to combined cardiac and tracheal surgeries, to be performed in India. Yaseen is now breathing naturally, for the first time, aftertwo months of being on a ventilator”, saidDr. Neville Solomon, Pediatric Cardio Thoracic Surgeon, Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai.
Following surgery, Yaseen was shifted to the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit and was managed and provided assistance by the Critical Care Unit of Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai. The parents of Yaseen are happy that their child’s heart and airway passage are gradually recovering to function normally.