ABU DHABI (WAM)
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) has successfully treated a two-week-old infant diagnosed with a rare and complex congenital heart defect.
The condition, Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage (TAPVD), affects fewer than one in 10,000 newborns.
The young patient 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 to the condition in which pulmonary veins misconnect, leading to inadequate oxygenation and increased cardiac strain.
Under the expertise of the Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Mohammad Daud Khan, and Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Benedict Rajkumar, a multidisciplinary team performed a critical open-heart surgery to correct the defect.
Following a successful surgery and recovery period, the patient was discharged in stable condition four weeks post-operation.
Dr. Rajkumar explained, "The collective expertise and dedication of our cardiac team, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, 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."
Chief Medical Officer at SKMC, Dr. Muna Al Hammadi, commented, "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."