- Apollo Hospital Lucknow sets a new milestone by performing complex heart surgery on a four-year-old child through a tiny incision without cutting the chest bone
- The child was discharged from the hospital within just two days after surgery using minimally invasive cardiac surgery technique
TIL Desk Lucknow:
ApolloMedics Super Speciality Hospital in the capital city has achieved a significant milestone by successfully performing a complex heart surgery on a four-year-old child using a new technique. This is the first time in Uttar Pradesh that a hole in the heart of such a young child has been closed using the ‘keyhole’ technique, i.e., through a very small incision.
The child had been suffering from frequent lung infections for a long time and also faced difficulty in breathing. Upon examination, it was found that there was a hole in the child’s heart. Typically, such cases require traditional open-heart surgery, which involves making a large incision (about 15 cm) in the front of the chest, and the patient usually needs to stay in the hospital for several days after surgery.
At Apollomedics, this complex procedure was performed using advanced ‘minimally invasive cardiac surgery’ techniques. A very small incision (about 3 cm, roughly the size of a safety pin) was made below the child’s shoulder, near the side of the chest, and the entire operation was carried out through this route. During the procedure, the heart was placed on a bypass machine, and the hole in the heart was closed.
Dr. Rahul Bhushan, a cardiac surgery specialist at Apollo Medics Super Speciality Hospital who successfully performed the surgery, said, “Performing this surgery on small children is extremely challenging because their hearts are very small in size.” He received specialized training in this technique at the National Heart Center in Singapore, where he completed a one-year fellowship in minimally invasive cardiac surgery before introducing this technique in Lucknow.
He explained, “A child’s heart is typically 3 to 4 times smaller than that of an adult. Reaching the heart through a small incision and connecting it to a bypass machine is technically difficult. With new techniques and advanced machines, this has now become possible even in such young patients. In adults, the process of connecting to a bypass machine is usually done through the femoral blood vessels in the upper thigh (groin). However, in children, these vessels are not fully developed. Therefore, the tubes for the bypass machine must be inserted through the same small incision used for the surgery. This makes the procedure even more complex, as multiple tubes need to be placed through the same limited space while performing the surgery.”
Dr. Bhushan added that the surgery took about three hours. The biggest advantage of this technique is that it does not require cutting bones or muscles, results in minimal blood loss, and allows for very fast recovery.
He said, “The child needed to stay in the ICU for only one day and was discharged from the hospital within two days. Earlier, it was believed that patients needed to stay in the hospital for five to ten days after heart surgery, but this new technique is changing that perception.”
He also noted that this type of surgery leaves no large scar on the body, allowing the child to lead a normal life. It also ensures that there are no limitations in the future, even for physically demanding careers such as sports or defense services.
Dr. Mayank Somani, CEO and MD of Apollo Medics Super Speciality Hospital, said that this achievement is an important step for the healthcare sector in the state. He stated, “Our goal is to bring advanced medical technologies to patients in Uttar Pradesh so that people do not have to travel to bigger cities or abroad. With expert doctors and modern technology, even complex surgeries are being performed safely at Apollo Medics.”
Following the successful surgery, the child’s heart is now functioning normally, and according to doctors, the child is completely healthy. This technique is expected to make complex pediatric heart surgeries safer in the future.
