Gurugram: In a remarkable medical feat, doctors at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, have successfully treated a newborn weighing just 1.7 kilograms who was born without a food pipe—a rare congenital condition known as esophageal atresia, which affects approximately 1 in every 3,500 births.
The baby, referred from a hospital in Rewari, Haryana, was born with a missing esophagus and a small hole in the heart. Due to the absence of a functional food pipe, the child was unable to feed normally and was at high risk of developing recurrent pneumonia.
Upon admission to the hospital, the newborn exhibited symptoms including difficulty in breathing and excessive saliva production. A chest and abdominal X-ray confirmed the diagnosis when a feeding tube inserted through the mouth failed to reach the stomach.
A team of doctors, led by Dr. Anand Sinha, Director of Pediatric Surgery at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, opted for a minimally invasive thoracoscopic procedure to repair the defect.
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This advanced surgical technique involved connecting the two ends of the esophagus through small incisions in the chest, avoiding the need for a large surgical cut. The four-hour-long procedure was successfully completed, and the baby was discharged in a stable condition after 15 days of postoperative care.
“Newborns with esophageal atresia cannot feed and are highly susceptible to life-threatening infections like pneumonia,” explained Dr. Anand Sinha. “While traditionally this surgery required a large chest incision, the minimally invasive thoracoscopic method has shown better outcomes and quicker recovery. It is typically performed on babies with higher birth weights and no major associated anomalies. In this case, the successful outcome despite the baby’s low birth weight and cardiac defect was a significant achievement.”
Dr. Sinha further emphasized the complexity of the surgery, stating that it requires years of specialized training due to the limited space within a newborn’s chest cavity and the delicate nature of the organs involved. The success of the operation was made possible by close coordination among pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, and the neonatal intensive care team.
