UAE: Newborn saved with rare heart condition found in fewer than one in 10,000 babies
The two-week-old infant was diagnosed with a complex congenital heart defect
Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), part of SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, has marked a significant achievement in paediatric cardiac care with the successful treatment of a two-week-old infant diagnosed with a rare and complex congenital heart defect.
The condition, known as Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (TAPVD), affects fewer than one in 10,000 newborns.
The young patient, Saleh, was admitted to SKMC, the Centre of Excellence for Paediatric Cardiac surgery by the Department of Health — Abu Dhabi, at just three days old, with respiratory failure due the condition in which pulmonary veins misconnect, leading to inadequate oxygenation and increased cardiac strain.
Under the expertise of Dr Mohammad Daud Khan, Consultant Cardiologist, and Dr Benedict Rajkumar, Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, a multidisciplinary team performed a critical open-heart surgery to correct the defect, highlighting the team’s unparalleled expertise and dedication.
Significant challenge
“Performing open-heart surgeries, especially on very young infants, presents a significant challenge. However, the collective expertise and dedication of our cardiac team, including surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and paediatric cardiac intensivists, have been instrumental in achieving this success. We successfully rerouted the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart through a meticulous five-hour surgery,” explained Dr Rajkumar.
“Our leading paediatric heart programme stands as a pillar of hope for families not just in the UAE, but globally. The unwavering commitment and expertise of our surgical teams have been key to saving more than 5,000 young lives in the past 16 years, ensuring ongoing care for heart patients and their families,” said Dr Muna Al Hammadi, Chief Medical Officer at SKMC.
Milestone
Following a successful surgery and recovery period, the patient was discharged in stable condition four weeks post-operation. As the largest paediatric medical centre in the UAE, this marks another milestone for SKMC, highlighting its leading role in paediatric cardiac care within the UAE and showcasing its commitment to the highest standards of medical excellence and patient-centric care.
The Department of Health — Abu Dhabi recently appointed SKMC as a centre of excellence for paediatric cardiac surgery. This recognition is based on SKMC’s outstanding infrastructure, highly skilled workforce, multidisciplinary resources, cutting-edge technologies, and its contribution to healthcare innovation and clinical and scientific research.