Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 13 : The Department of Cardiology at Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, has successfully performed a Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) on a 2-month-old child, marking the youngest case in the Department's history at IMS BHU.
The procedure was successful, and the child is now well and has been discharged, according to a release.
The team, led by Prof. Vikas Agrawal (Head, Cardiology), Dr. Pratibha Rai, Dr. Mohan, Dr. Vikas, and Dr. Pratap from Cardiology, along with Prof. A.P. Singh, Dr. Sanjeev, and Dr. Pratima from Cardiac Anaesthesia, achieved this milestone despite the high complication rate and technical challenges associated with performing BAV in such young patients.
Aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve, can lead to heart failure, poor feeding, and inadequate weight gain in infants. BAV offers a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery, which carries a higher mortality risk in small babies.
This is a very challenging procedure in newborns and small infants, but it can be life-saving, said Dr Pratibha Rai. "In this case, we were able to restore proper blood flow without the risks of open-heart surgery."
Professor Agrawal added that the Cardiology Department at IMS BHU routinely performs advanced cardiac interventions from newborns to adults, including angioplasties, pacemaker implantations, and valve procedures.