HCM City (VNA) – Doctorsof the HCM City-based Paediatrics Hospital No 1 have successfully performed acongenital heart surgery for a premature baby weighing 900grams, the lightestpatient ever to receive the surgery.

Dr Pham Thi Thanh Tam, head of the Newborn ResuscitationDepartment, said that on March 3, the department took in a patient from ahospital in Vinh Long province suffering congenital heart disease andcoarctations of the aorta.

The baby was born prematurely, at 31 weeks of gestation andweighing only 900g.

The patient also suffered many injuries, such as respiratory andkidney failure.

Tam said that this was a difficult and dangerous surgery.

According to the doctor, the team could not wait until the babyweighed enough for surgery.

If the surgery was not performed, the heart defects would haveaffected the baby’s health. The baby’s organs have not developed yet completelyand could not keep the baby alive, Tam said.

Doctors from related hospital’s departments held a consultation tofind the best solution.

After 20 days of careful preparations, doctors decided to undergosurgery on March 23.

After an hour, the operation was successful. The patient now canbreathe with support of oxygen. Nutrition is still supplied from theintravenous to stomach, doctors said.-VNA