Media Release

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Sep 23: The Pediatric surgery and Neonatology team at Father Muller Medical College Hospital (FMMCH) in the city successfully operated, managed and sent home one of the smallest baby to have undergone a major operation on September 14.

A 34-year-old female had to deliver a baby prematurely at 30 weeks to save the mother’s life due to complications arising from high, uncontrollable pregnancy-related hypertension. The premature baby weighing 680 grams had a hole in the partition between the chest and the abdomen with the stomach liver and intestines next to the heart (congenital diaphragmatic hernia). Baby also had associated deformity of the heart and endocrine organ.

A team of doctors consisting of Pediatric surgeon Dr Kishan Shetty, Neonatologists Dr Saritha, Dr Praveen B K, Dr Mario and Anesthesiologist Dr Karl treated the baby. An extremely complicated surgery was performed, where the abdominal contents were brought back and the hole in diaphragm closed successfully. This surgery is usually not attempted in babies under one Kg of body weight, as it is technically difficult due to the tiny size and almost no chance of survival. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia has very low survival rate, even in normal weight babies born at term. The baby recovered well post-surgery and was removed off the ventilator three days after surgery. The team of doctors and the nursing staff worked day in and day out to improve the baby's condition after the surgery. Baby improved and gradually gained weight and was shifted to mother’s side on day 64 of life. This seems to be the smallest baby to have ever been operated and survived at such low birth weight on searching the published literature.

The baby is now being discharged with both the mother and baby being healthy. Current weight of the baby is 1.5 kg after two months of the surgery.

Sewing needle removed from gluteal region of Seven year old in first attempt

The pediatric surgery team at Father Muller Medical College Hospital has successfully removed a sewing needle from the gluteal region of a seven-year-old boy in first attempt. Child came from Chikkamagaluru to the hospital with pain in and around the anal region since two weeks. Patient had no history of trauma. X-ray done at an outside hospital showed a long slender foreign body in the perianal region and was referred to the pediatric surgery department at Father Muller for further management. The doctors at Father Muller decided to get a CT scan of the pelvic region which showed a long foreign body measuring about four cm, most likely a needle. A team of doctors consisting of Dr Kishan Shetty,
Dr Prashanth Acharya and Dr Karl operated the child on August 17. With the help of ultrasound guidance during the surgery the needle was extracted through a very small cut. The needle was very close to a major artery and the hip joint. There were no complications and procedure was successful at first attempt. The needle removed turned out to be a sewing needle. Patient did well after surgery and was discharged after full recovery.

A similar case was reported at AIIMS Delhi where the needle was removed after two attempts after waiting for two weeks.