Successful cardiac surgery performed on 11 days old baby

Baby Amna Humayun

Doctors at Aga Khan University Hospital's (AKUH) Paediatric Cardiac services successfully performed ‘arterial switch operations' on two infants within three weeks of their newborn life. Both cases were born outside AKUH and brought in critical circumstances. On being diagnosed with serious heart defects, these infants required an urgent initial procedure called ‘balloon atrial septostomy', which was soon followed by ‘arterial switch operations' for the two infant patients.

The cardiac procedures were carried out by AKUH's specialised team comprising of Dr Mehnaz Atiq, Paediatric Cardiologist, Dr Muneer Amanullah, Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr Muhammad Hameed, Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesiologist, Dr Mansoor Khan, Paediatric Cardiac Anaesthesiologist and Dr Anwar-ul-Haq, Paediatric Cardiac Intensivist.

Baby Amna Humayun, born on August 25, 2007, at the age of just 30 minutes became blue and started grunting, and was immediately put on oxygen support. Echocardiography was carried out which diagnosed ‘d-transposition of the great arteries', in which the aorta and the pulmonary were arising from the wrong ventricle (pumping chambers of the heart). This is an emergency as it is a life threatening condition. Amna was referred to AKUH where the diagnosis was confirmed and was admitted to the hospital.

On day two of her life, she underwent the preliminary procedure of ‘balloon atrial septostomy'. This procedure creates a hole between the smaller chambers of the heart, enabling the patient to survive. Amna was discharged on day eight of her life, pending the next procedure. Admitted back on day 10 of life, she successfully underwent the ‘arterial switch operation' the next day. This operation enables ‘red' or clean blood to flow into the body and ‘blue' or unclean blood to flow into the lungs – rather than the other way round. Amna Humayun was discharged on Tuesday, September 18, 2007, at the age of 24 days.

The other case is that of a boy, Abdul Khaliq Moosani, born on August 14, 2007. At 12 hours of age the patient had become blue with fast breathing. Referred to AKUH at the age of three days for echocardiography, he was also diagnosed with ‘d-transposition of the great arteries'. ‘Balloon atrial septostomy' was carried out on day five of his life and he was discharged two days later. Like Amna, this procedure enabled him to survive till the arterial switch operation. He was re-admitted on day 20 of life and underwent the operation successfully the next day.

Now over a month old and progressing well, Abdul Khaliq Moosani was discharged from AKUH's Paediatric Cardiac ward, on September 25, 2007.

AKUH combines high quality clinical service with compassionate, ethical, accessible, high quality and individualistic patient care that meets the needs of or expectations of our patients, their families and others whom we serve.