COIMBATORE: Doctors in a private hospital here performed a rare pediatric heart transplant, giving seven-year-old boy a new lease of life.Royal Care Hospitals performed the highly complex heart transplant on a boy who was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a severe condition that weakens the heart muscle and affects its ability to pump blood. According to hospital officials, the disease was detected only after it had progressed significantly. The boy was brought to Royal Care Hospitals for a second opinion after treatment elsewhere failed to improve his condition.In a media briefing on Wednesday, Dr G Pradeep, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, said, “The child was admitted to hospital with severe heart failure and required ventilator support. As his condition worsened, with declining kidney function and multiple organ complications, doctors placed him on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an advanced life-support system. The boy has spent almost 100 days in hospital.”The doctor stated that the case became even more challenging when the child developed a severe lung infection and collapse of the right lung. Finding a suitable donor heart proved difficult due to his age and size. Eventually, a heart from a 30-year-old brain-dead woman became available.Despite significant size mismatch and other complications, the transplant was performed. Following intensive post-operative care and additional surgeries, the boy recovered steadily and is now leading a healthier life, according to hospital officials.
