Kolkata: Medica Group of Hospitals, the largest private hospital chain in Eastern India, at its flagship facility Medica Superspecialty Hospital in Kolkata conducted a critical operation of a 11-month-old infant from Midnapore. The team of experienced doctors from departments of pediatric cardiology and CTVS team joined hands together for this unique case. The team put in their combined efforts under the leadership of Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, Pediatric Cardiology who was ably supported by the CTVS team led by Dr Mrinal Bandhu Das, Cardiac anesthesia and intensive care support provided by Dr Dipanjan Chatterjee and Dr Apran Chakraborty helped achieve this momentous feat on 21st June 2021. Having set benchmarks in patient care, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, which has a world-class comprehensive department for heart failure, at the facility, in Kolkata, is widely known for its excellence in cardiac care has now added another feather to its cap, after successfully conducting the high-risk operation with extensive options for treatment and management of congenital cardiac disease.
During the dreadful COVID -19 pandemic, when the entire nation was witnessing more than thousands of deaths in a single day, Das family cherished the moment when a baby girl (Anjali Das) was born. The family members rejoiced the incident as the second baby girl stepped in their household. After few months, when Anjali was 5 months old, she started to develop chronic cold symptoms. Her family members did not take the matter seriously and Anjali was being treated by the local alternative medicine specialists until one day when things got serious, and her family took her to the local government hospital. Post the consultation, the doctor knew there was something wrong and asked them to consult a specialist in Kolkata. She was diagnosed with a complex congenital heart disease where the main blood vessels taking blood from heart to body and the lungs got exchanged in origin along with a large communication in the lower chamber of the heart. They were screened by medical college team and referred by the Health department, Government of West Bengal under Sishusathi programme to Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata. Medica Hospital, Kolkata is a proud partner with Government for taking care of children with congenital heart disease. Members of her family along with the help of local neighbors brought her to Medica on an urgent basis as the situation was worsening gradually. It took more than 4 hours’ drive to reach Medica from her village Gopiballavpur, Midnapore and finally after the successful operation was discharged from Medica on 5th June 2021. Baby Anjali was evaluated and cathetarized by Dr Anil Singhi and team, surgery was performed by Dr Mrinal Bandhu Das, anesthesia and intensive care done by ITU team lead by Dr Dipanjan Chatterjee and Dr Arpan Chakraborty.
Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, who led the team of pediatric cardiology commented, “The little girl had visited us in a critically ill state with a failing heart and rapidly deteriorating health. After the thorough check up, we decided that the baby required an immediate heart surgery as the complex heart defect like this should ideally have been repaired by three to four months of age. When she was admitted at Medica she was 10 months with poor weight gain. The major congenital cardiac disease which is called Transposition of great arteries, Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) and severe Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) usually becomes irreparable near 9- 12 months of age . These complex heart surgeries are done at the early phase but as she was quite old enough, so the surgery incurred huge risk. But we had no options left.”