3-year-old defies rare life threatening condition with miraculous surgery

Taking philanthrophy to the next level, the team of paediatric surgeons at Jaypee Hospital led by Dr Rajesh Sharma have successfully operated a 3-year-old orphan kid Rudraksh, who is taken care of by an orphanage in Mathura. This rare surgery can be performed only in 3 – 4 hospitals in India.

Dr. Rajesh Sharma, Director of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Department at Jaypee Hospital explaining the disease said, “Rudraksh was suffering from 'Corrected Transportation Of Great Arteries'(CTGA). In this disease, the heart’s formation is completely opposite to the natural biological formation. While the body doesn’t turn blue, the patient is always at risk of a heart failure. That is why this disease needs to be cured by the age of two – three so that the body can develop and function in the right way.”

Doctors performed Double Switch Surgery on Rudraksh, which was successful but his heart didn’t recover completely after Cardio Pulmonary Bypass. He was then shifted to I.C.U with ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation). After 72 hours of critical observation when the pace of his heart and Contractility improved, ECMO was removed. "He was taken off the ventilator soon but since he was facing problem in breathing due to increased work of breathing secondary to myocardial dysfunction, we had to put him back on the ventilator. To take him off the ventilator, Trachesotomy was done. Along with this, a high calorie and high protein diet was given to him through N.G. feeding for speedy recovery," added the doctor.

Ten days after the surgery was performed, Tracheostomy was removed and Rudraksh was shifted to general ward. Rudraksh is recovering now and the condition of his heart is stable.