Newborn with rare congenital condition undergoes life-saving surgery at SSG Hospital

Vadodara: Doctors at the state-run SSG Hospital in Vadodara successfully performed a complex, life-saving surgery on a newborn suffering from a rare congenital condition.The baby boy, weighing 2.6 kg, was born to a 24-year-old woman from Godhra in Panchmahal district. Soon after birth, he was diagnosed with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) — a serious congenital anomaly in which the food pipe (oesophagus) and windpipe (trachea) are abnormally connected. In such cases, milk consumed by the baby can enter the lungs instead of the stomach, making the condition potentially life-threatening.Considering the severity of the condition, the newborn was referred from Godhra to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at SSG Hospital within 11 hours of birth.After evaluation by specialists, doctors decided to perform corrective surgery on the second day of the baby's life. The procedure involved separating the abnormal connection between the oesophagus and the trachea, a highly challenging surgery, particularly in a low-birth-weight newborn due to the high risk of infection and complications.Following the surgery, the baby was kept on mechanical ventilation for 10 days and closely monitored in the NICU. A dye study later confirmed that the oesophagus had healed well and that feeds were reaching the stomach normally.After 24 days of intensive care, the baby was now stable, feeding exclusively on breast milk and gaining weight.Doctors said such treatment and NICU care can cost between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 per day in private hospitals, apart from surgical expenses. However, the entire treatment — including the complex surgery and the 24-day NICU stay — was provided free of cost at SSG Hospital. The surgery and post-operative care were carried out by a team led by the head of the paediatrics department, Dr Omprakash Shukla, along with Dr Rinky Shah, Dr Vaishali Chanpura and Dr Kashyap Pandya, among others.