In an extraordinary medical achievement that has captured attention across Kolkata's healthcare community, a premature baby girl weighing a mere 720 grams has successfully undergone a complex cardiac procedure typically reserved for infants weighing five times more. The groundbreaking intervention took place at Neotia Bhagirathi Women and Child Care Centre in New Town, marking a significant milestone in neonatal care.
A Race Against Time for a Fragile Life
The baby, born to parents from Dumdum at just 26 weeks of gestation, faced immediate health challenges. On her second day of life, doctors diagnosed her with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a congenital condition where a blood vessel that bypasses the lungs before birth fails to close after delivery. This defect causes excessive blood flow to the lungs, potentially leading to heart failure and other severe complications if left untreated.
Dr. Sanjiban Ghosh, the consultant interventional paediatric cardiologist who led the procedure, explained the critical situation: "Our first line of treatment was the medical closure of the PDA as the procedure is generally considered for babies weighing 5 kg and above. But the neonate was not responding, and various complications, including renal failure, started cropping up. Her condition was sinking despite putting her on the highest mode of ventilation."
The Groundbreaking Procedure
On September 12, just eight days after her birth, the medical team made the courageous decision to proceed with the Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) device closure using the Piccolo device. The minimally-invasive cardiac procedure, performed under general anesthesia, made the infant the tiniest baby by weight to undergo a Cathlab procedure in Kolkata's medical history.
The surgical team included Dr. Sanjiban Ghosh along with Dr. Aritra Mukherjee and Dr. Nilanjan Dutta, with cardiac anaesthesiologist Dr. Sandip Jana managing the critical anesthesia requirements for the fragile patient. The procedure's success demonstrated that weight boundaries in neonatal cardiac interventions can be pushed with careful planning and expertise.
Road to Recovery and Future Prospects
Following the successful intervention, the baby has shown remarkable progress. Currently cared for in the special care unit under neonatologist Dr. Bikramjit Ghosh, her weight has increased to 1.5 kilograms as she continues to gain strength. Medical professionals involved in her care confirm that this was a one-time treatment, and they expect her to grow up like other children without further cardiac interventions.
This medical breakthrough highlights several important aspects of advanced neonatal care:
- The expanding possibilities for treating extremely low birth weight infants
- The importance of specialized cardiac care for premature babies
- Kolkata's growing capabilities in complex pediatric interventions
- The potential for minimally invasive procedures in critical neonatal cases
The successful outcome provides hope for families facing similar challenges with premature infants and establishes new benchmarks for what's possible in neonatal cardiac care within Indian medical facilities.
