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Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, have successfully performed a life-saving keyhole lung surgery on a 50-day-old baby weighing just 2.5 kilograms.
The infant, referred from Bihar, was suffering from a rare and serious condition known as congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) - an abnormal development of a part of the lung that prevents normal breathing, according to an official release. In this case, the malformation was unusually large and located on the right side of the chest. It compressed the left lung, leaving the baby gasping for breath. By the time he arrived at AIIMS, his condition was critical, and the child was placed on ventilator support. Given the severity of the condition, the child was admitted, stabilised, and prepared for surgery. For such a young infant, the challenges were immense - not only because of his very low weight and age, but also because managing such patients on ventilator support requires continuous vigilance. This task was handled by the residents of the Department of Pediatric Surgery, who played a crucial role in round-the-clock pre-and post-operative management. Instead of opting for open chest surgery, which would have required a large incision and led to prolonged recovery, the doctors chose a thoracoscopic (keyhole) approach. In this minimally invasive technique, specialised instruments as small as 3 to 5 millimetres were inserted into the chest along with a miniature camera, enabling surgeons to operate inside the baby''s tiny thorax. The diseased portion of the right lung was carefully removed through an incision only about one centimetre wide. During the operation, the baby had a dangerous dip in oxygen levels. This required immediate response and coordination between the surgical and anaesthetic teams. The anaesthesia was managed by Dr Rakesh Kumar, who stabilised the baby with expert precision and ensured that the procedure could continue safely. The surgical team was led by Dr Vishesh Jain, Professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at AIIMS. "Operating on a 50-day-old infant weighing only 2.5 kilograms truly pushes the boundaries of what is possible with minimally invasive surgery," Dr Jain noted. "It was the coordinated effort of the surgical team and the anaesthesia team, along with the state-of-the-art facility and trained manpower at AIIMS, New Delhi, that made this success possible." Dr Sandeep Agarwala, Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatric Surgery, AIIMS, praised the effort: "This case shows our commitment to extending advanced surgical care even to the most fragile infants. Managing and operating upon such a young baby highlights the strength of our department''s teamwork." Following the operation, the child recovered steadily and was soon able to breathe comfortably without ventilator support. For his parents, who had travelled from Bihar in desperation, the successful surgery and their child''s recovery have been a profound source of relief and gratitude. This case is believed to be the youngest and smallest child in the country to undergo such a complex thoracoscopic lung surgery, remarkably, in a critical condition where the baby was already on ventilator support before the operation. By choosing a minimally invasive approach rather than traditional open surgery, the doctors ensured less pain, minimal trauma, and a faster recovery - critical factors in newborns with fragile health. (ANI)
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