2- year- old Iraqi boy gets another lease of life
A two- year- old Iraqi boy, suffering from complete heart blockage was successfully treated in a city hospital recently.
Murtadha Ameer Mausa, all of two years and eight months, had already undergone an open- heart surgery in Mumbai at the age of 1.5 years. The patient was referred to many hospitals around the world as he suffered due to slow pulse rate and multiple episodes of fainting and finally, his parents were suggested that he undergo another open heart surgery.
The Iraqi boy was then brought to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute where his pulse rate was recorded to be 42 per minute and BP was 80/ 50 mmHg.
The boy’s parents were extremely reluctant to go in for another cardiac surgery. However, the hospital doctors briefed the parents about the complications involved with another open heart surgery.
“After a lot of deliberations, it was considered that a pacemaker be implanted through his veins, without the need of a cardiac surgery,” the hospital said in a press statement. He was then taken up for single chamber ( VVIR) pacemaker implantation via the veins under the clavicle, the hospital stated. Ameer had earlier undergone a open heart surgery to correct a congenital anomaly. The patient developed a complete heart block, which meant that the patient suffered from multiple episodes of fainting as the boy’s pulse rate had slowed down, doctors said.
Dr Radha Krishnan, director, paediatric cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute said, “Although other hospitals suggested to the boy’s parents to go for an open heart surgery so as to place the pacemaker, we took up the challenge of placing it through the veins as a second open heart surgery would lead to complications in the long run for the boy.”
“When the patient was brought to us, he had already undergone a cardiac surgery and subjecting him to another one would put him at a high risk because of his young age,” said Dr Aparna Jaswal, additional director, cardiology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.
Thus, he was implanted with a tinytrans catheter pacemaker and the entire procedure lasted for less than 45 minutes. “As a followup, he was given a remote monitoring device wherein he can send in his transmissions from his home to us whenever they want,” she added.