Ludhiana, May 15
If Komal (7) and Baljinder (1), residents of Qadian in Gurdaspur and Chandigarh, respectively, have something in common that is both owe their lives to skillful hands of the local cardiac surgeons. But for timely surgical intervention, both of them would have remained critically ill and their lives under constant threat of being snuffed out.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Dr Harinder Singh Bedi, chairman, cardiac sciences, Ludhiana Mediciti Hospital, here said Komal had a serious heart condition, which was slowly killing her. Her father Ashwani Madan had taken the child to several places for treatment without much success.

On being brought to the city hospital and following thorough investigations, Komal was diagnosed with a large hole in her heart. “Due to a mixing of blood over the years, the lungs had been severely damaged to the extent that lung failure could have occurred at any time with life expectancy of the child curtailed to just a few months”.

According to Dr Bedi, standard surgery for a hole in the heart (closing the hole) carried a risk that any further damage to the lungs during surgery, would cause the heart to stop beating. After a detailed counselling and preparation, a major open heart surgery was planned. The hole was closed with an imported material. A special technique was used so that even if the lungs failed to recover they would not stop the heart. Komal made a remarkable recovery and is a happy and joyous child today.

Similarly Phuljinder Singh, a resident of Chandigarh and father of one-year-old Baljinder, was in a dilemma. His child had a rare defect as the connections of the heart were reverse of what they ought to be. With the result, Baljinder was blue in colour and not growing well.

On Baljinder, a complicated beating-heart technique was used to correct the defects of his heart. This technique, added Dr Bedi, was mastered by him when he was working in Australia. In due course, a modification of performing beating-heart surgery without the heart-lung machine was added with better results.

Baljinder tolerated the major surgery very well and recovery was uneventful. His mother Amandeep Kaur was overjoyed to see her son who was now turning pink, showing signs of good health and growth, Dr Bedi said.