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Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi performed successful balloon dilation in a grape-sized baby’s heart in the mother’s womb, reports NDTV citing ANI.
A 28-year-old pregnant patient was admitted to the hospital with three previous pregnancy losses. The parents wished to continue the current pregnancy after the doctors communicated about the child’s heart condition and consented to the procedure with a wish to improve the outcome.
The procedure was done at the Cardiothoracic Sciences Centre, AIIMS. The team of interventional cardiologists and fetal medicine specialists performed a successful procedure.
According to the team of doctors from Department of Cardiology & Cardiac Anesthesia, along with Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Fetal medicine) of AIIMS, “The fetus and the mother are both doing well after the procedure. The teams of doctors are monitoring the growth of the heart chambers to ultimately determine the baby’s future management.”
“Some types of serious heart diseases can be diagnosed while the baby is in the mother’s womb. Sometimes, treating them in the womb may improve the outlook for the baby after birth and lead to near normal development,” the team further said.
This procedure is called Balloon dilation of an obstructed valve in the baby’s heart.
The procedure is done under ultrasound guidance, “We placed a needle through the mother’s abdomen into the baby’s heart. Then, using a balloon catheter, we opened the obstructed valve to improve blood flow,” explained the senior doctor who performed the surgery.
