Delhi doctors repair rare oesophageal defect in 1.4-kg premature newborn
Doctors at a Delhi hospital have successfully performed a complex surgery to repair a life-threatening congenital oesophageal defect in a premature newborn weighing just 1.4 kg, one of a pair of twins.
The baby, born at 34 weeks of gestation, was diagnosed with Type C tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TEF) with oesophageal atresia, a rare congenital condition in which the upper part of the oesophagus ends in a blind pouch while the lower segment is abnormally connected to the trachea, doctors at Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital, Kaushambi, said.
Soon after birth, the newborn developed frothing at the mouth, excessive secretions and respiratory distress. The diagnosis was confirmed through an X-ray, which showed the feeding tube coiling in the upper oesophagus.
The two-hour surgery was perfo...
