Dubai: A seven-year-old girl who was born with two holes in her heart, two underdeveloped valves and a dysfunctional right ventricle can finally breathe easy.
On Sunday, doctors at the Dubai Hospital conducted a three-hour operation on her, completing the second of two complex phases to help her lead a normal life.
Dr Obaid Al Jassim, Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery, told XPRESS that the Afghan girl was operated under the Nabadat initiative launched by Dubai Health Authority and Mohammad Bin Rashid Charity and Humanitarian Establishment to provide free medical assistance to children with congenital diseases. Over 300 children have benefited from the programme so far.
“She was a cyanotic baby and suffered from breathing difficulties and other complications. Since her right ventricle was poorly developed, it could not receive deoxygenated blood from the body and pump it to the lungs. Her blood was not getting oxygenated.
“In 2011, we did the first operation [Glenn] whereby we diverted the deoxygenated blood from the upper part of the body directly to the lungs. This week, we conducted the second operation [Fontan] to divert the deoxygenated blood from the lower part of the body to the lungs.”
The biggest operation to have been done under Nabadat, it was free of cost. “This week’s surgery would have cost the family around Dh250,000, if done abroad,” said Dr Jassim. He said the girl was taken off the ventilator a day after the operation. “She is stable now and will be discharged in a day or two.”
