Army doctors perform rare surgery on day-old newborn under challenging conditions

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25

Amidst fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors at the Military Hospital, Pathankot, have performed an emergency lifesaving operation on a one-day-old newborn who was suffering from a rare abdominal disorder.

The baby of a soldier born out of Caesarean-section was suspected to have a rare congenital anomaly of the intestines consequently resulting in intestinal block and perforation with contamination of abdomen with faecal material leading to septic infection.

Prompt diagnosis was made, but the condition of the baby was critical and he was not fit for transfer to the nearest paediatric surgery centre of the armed forces located at Command Hospital, Chandimandir, which was six hours travel by road, according to officials at Western Command Headquarters. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown no paediatric surgeon was available at the civilian hospitals in Pathankot.

Major Adil Abdul Kalam, surgical specialist at Pathankot Military Hospital performed the intricate and challenging operation of opening up the abdomen of the new born baby who was on a ventilator, repairing the tears in intestine and creation of stoma for diverting the stools. This is for the first time in the Armed Forces Medical Services wherein such an intricate operation on a newborn is done at a zonal hospital with no paediatric surgeon, paediatric anesthesiologist or neonatologist being available.

The operation was performed in emergency, which if delayed by even a few minutes, could have resulted in exacerbation of multi-organ failure, leading to death. The doctor said it was an extremely challenging and stressful task to manage the case in the absence of super specialty facilities.

Performing intricate surgery in the intestines of the newborn with associated septic infection was technically arduous and gruelling but the team of doctors and nurses effectively carried out the surgery. The baby is no longer on ventilator, tolerating breast feeds and is on the way to healthy recovery.