Dubai doctors successfully treat one-day-old infant with rare breathing problem
One in 100,000 babies suffer bony block on both sides of the nose
Dubai: Doctors at a Dubai hospital sucessfully treated a one-day-old baby with a complex Ear Nose Throat (ENT) surgery to help the newborn regain normal breathing. The baby, suffering from a rare anomaly that occurs in one infant per 10,000 births, was referred to Zulekha Hospital Dubai after he was unable to breathe from his nose and was intubated and kept on ventilator for respiratory support. The baby was admitted at the hospital at the NICU under the care of Dr Deepu Abraham, Consultant Neonatology and Pediatric and Dr Nishath Ahmed, Consultant Neonatologist & Specialist Paediatrics.
Complex and rare condition
Specialist Otolaryngology (ENT) Dr. Vivek Sharma said a CT scan revealed that part of the baby’s nose, which opened into the oral cavity was closed on both sides by a bony plate. This anomaly is called ‘Bilateral Choanal Atresia’ which is rare.
The baby was successfully operated by Dr Sharma along with the support from Specialist ENT Surgeon Dr Naveen Gupta, and Specialist Anesthetist Dr Shalini Dadu. The complexity of the surgery was the limited access to the affected areas inside the baby’s nose and the age of the baby.
Dr Sharma added, “We did an endoscopic correction of the anomaly nd created a new opening behind the nose so that the neonate could freely breathe from his nose. The baby’s postoperative recovery is satisfactory and he was extubated 24 hours after the surgery.
Dr Abraham said, “Some babies do have associated heart and other organ abnormalities in such a condition. Hence, we did a detailed evaluation of the baby but nothing more was detected. The baby was treated in time by our muti-speciality team and discharged in stable condition. The baby is also on complete breast feed and is gaining appropriate healthy weight.”
The father of the baby acknowledged the team work in managing his son’s condition and said, “The team of doctors and surgeon has been very cautious during my son’s treatment, ensuring the right diagnosis was done in time. I am thankful for the support extended by all.”