A Surgical Feat Saves Premature Infant

An 896-gram extreme premature female infant was reported October 30 to have survived cardiac surgeries performed in April and September this year, according to Okayama University Hospital in Okayama, Japan.

The baby with a hereditary cardiac failure was born extremely premature, 895 grams, in the 31st week of pregnancy in March this year. Her heart failure was due to tetralogy of Fallot, with a hole on the wall of the ventricle of her heart blocking blood flow.

Low birth-weight infants under 2.5 kg are rarely operated on and high in mortality. Prof. Shunji Sano, 63, cardiovascular surgery, Okayama University Hospital, was certain a surgery would be the only means of her survival. The infant was only 22 days old weighing 895 unchanged from the day of birth,

A bypass surgery was conducted with vascular grafts to feed blood to the pulmonary artery.

The infant weighed about 4 kg in September. Another surgery to plug up the hole was successfully done.

The baby is scheduled to be discharged in November.

This is the first case of extreme premature infants under 1 kg in weight successfully surviving the cardiac surgery.

The baby was born sister of a twin in March this year. Her mother, 30, in Okayama, hardly thought the surgery would succeed and commented:

"I sure hope she will grow up healthy, and I'll load her with lots of love".

Her father, 28, said:

"I've heard that it's a common disease. A bit apprehensive, but I was certain the surgery would work out fine".

Prof. Sano commented:

"Our operation proved that infants can be safely operated on. So, please don't give up just because patients are small."

Tetralogy of Fallot is treated with corrective surgery within the first year of life but known to present with long-term problems including arrhythmia, pulmonary regurgitation, and re-operation.