Fortis Escorts Okhla Saves 24-Hour-Old Newborn with Complex Heart Surgery

Fortis Escorts Okhla successfully performed a complex open-heart surgery on a 24-hour-old preterm newborn diagnosed with Infradiaphragmatic TAPVC, a rare congenital heart defect affecting nearly 1 in 10,000 live births.

The condition was detected during pregnancy through fetal imaging, allowing doctors to plan immediate treatment after birth. Soon after delivery, the baby developed severe respiratory distress and was shifted to Fortis Escorts Okhla for emergency cardiac care.

A multidisciplinary paediatric cardiac team led by Dr. K. S. Iyer, Chairman & Head, Paediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery; Dr. Ashutosh Marwah, Director, Paediatric Cardiology; and Dr. Parvathi U. Iyer, Principal Director, Paediatric Cardiac Intensive Care, performed the nearly four-hour life-saving surgery and provided intensive post-operative care.

The newborn showed excellent recovery and was discharged in stable condition after 11 days, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis, planned delivery near a specialized cardiac centre, and timely intervention in managing critical congenital heart defects.