Patna: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, have successfully treated a 1.9-kg premature newborn with a severe obstruction in the aorta, a condition that had significantly reduced blood flow to the lower part of the body and affected kidney function.
The baby was born prematurely and developed severe breathing difficulties, cardiac complications and acute kidney injury. With blood supply to the kidneys severely restricted, urine output had almost stopped and the newborn was at risk of kidney failure.
After several weeks of intensive treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the baby recovered and was discharged from the hospital.
Dialysis And Ventilator Support In NICU
The newborn’s condition was critical from the time of birth. The severe narrowing of the aorta restricted blood flow to the lower body, including the kidneys.
Doctors started peritoneal dialysis in the NICU because of the acute kidney injury. The procedure was managed by Dr Arnab Ghorui.
The baby also required prolonged ventilator support because of respiratory problems. Doctors and nursing staff continuously monitored the newborn’s breathing, heart rate and other vital parameters.
Extremely Small Blood Vessels Made Procedure Difficult
The baby’s weight of less than 2 kg made the intervention particularly challenging. The blood vessels were extremely small, making vascular access and catheter placement technically difficult.
Dr Suryanandan Prasad from the Department of Interventional Radiology used high-resolution ultrasound guidance to precisely access the blood vessel.
A specialist cardiology team led by department head Dr Anupam Bhambhani then proceeded with the balloon angioplasty.
Balloon Angioplasty Opened The Blockage
During the procedure, doctors guided a tiny balloon through the blood vessel to the narrowed portion of the aorta.
The balloon was inflated to widen the obstructed section and restore circulation.
Following the procedure, blood flow to the lower limbs and both kidneys improved. According to the medical team, the baby’s kidney function subsequently recovered, with urine output returning to normal levels within hours.
Doctors from several departments contributed to the treatment. Dr Ritchie Dalai and Dr Keshav Kumar Pathak from Neonatology, along with Dr Abhyuday from Anaesthesia, were part of the multidisciplinary team.
Four Departments Worked Together
Dr Bhabesh Kant Choudhary, head of the Department of Neonatology, and Dr Anupam Bhambhani said performing balloon angioplasty in a critically ill newborn weighing less than 2 kg was technically challenging.
The baby’s treatment required coordination between neonatology, cardiology, interventional radiology and anaesthesia, along with prolonged intensive-care support.
AIIMS Patna Executive Director-cum-CEO Prof (Brigadier) Dr Raju Agarwal praised the medical and nursing teams for the outcome.
The case highlights the role of coordinated specialist care in managing critically ill premature newborns requiring complex cardiac intervention and intensive-care support.
