In a first, the doctors at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura have replaced the heart valve of a nine-year-old girl.
According to a SKIMS spokesperson, the department of CVTS conducted its first pediatric heart valve replacement surgery on a nine-year-old girl from Rainawari, Srinagar who was diagnosed to have rheumatic heart disease with mitral regurgitation..
“She was hospitalized in the department of CVTS at SKIMS on 7th January under registration No: 1088425 and thoroughly examined and investigated. After a meticulous planning, she was operated on 11th January by a team of surgeons led by Prof. G.N.Lone,” said the spokesperson.
“She had a smooth surgical procedure which was completed in 90 minutes when her native valve was badly diseased and underdeveloped, rendering it impossible to repair, therefore replaced by a prosthetic device.”
The girl was removed from ventilator after four hours of surgery and shifted from ICCU within six days after a smooth recovery, said the spokesman. “She has been discharged from hospital symptom free on 2 February” the statement said.
The statement said Heart Valve replacement is usually done in adults during 3rd to 5th decade of life, especially in underdeveloped countries like India, he said. Valvular heart surgery is usually done for congenital heart defects including Valvular obstructions and leaks like Mitral Valve Stenosis, Regurgitation, Pulmonary Stenosis, Aortic Stenosis, Regurgitation.
Director, SKIMS, Prof. Umar Javed Shah congratulated Department of CVTS for doing such a landmark cardiac surgery and said that these facilities benefit poor patients, the statement said.
Besides Prof Lone, the team of doctors included Dr Farooq Ahmed Ganai, Dr Mohsin, Dr Yaqoob, Dr Pradeep, Dr Hidayat, Dr Talib Khan, Lateef Ahmed Kurpal, Firdous Ahmed Bhat, Asif, Meema, Mehak and Khalid, said the statement.