Tripura doctors save newborn with rare birth defect through emergency surgery

A team of doctors at Tripura Medical College (TMC) and Dr BRAM Teaching Hospital successfully carried out a complex surgery on a two-day-old infant born with a rare and potentially fatal birth defect, marking one of the state's notable neonatal surgical interventions.

The baby, born to a family from Melaghar in Tripura's Sepahijala district, was diagnosed before birth with left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a serious condition in which abdominal organs move into the chest cavity through an opening in the diaphragm, restricting lung development and impairing breathing.

The anomaly was detected during a prenatal examination at 32 weeks of pregnancy. Following further consultations and medical assessments, doctors planned a specialised course of treatment ahead of delivery.

The child was delivered through a caesarean section at AGMC and GBP Hospital on May 19 and was immediately transferred to the Paediatric Surgery Department at TMC and Dr BRAM Teaching Hospital. Subsequent examinations confirmed the diagnosis and prompted doctors to proceed with urgent corrective surgery.

Led by paediatric and neonatal surgeon Dr Aniruddha Basak, the operation was performed on May 20 when the infant was just two days old. During the two-hour procedure, surgeons repaired the defect in the diaphragm and repositioned the displaced abdominal organs into the abdominal cavity.

Hospital authorities said the surgery was successful and the baby made steady progress during post-operative care. The infant was expected to be discharged after showing normal recovery and being able to feed naturally.

The child's mother recalled the family's anxiety after learning of the diagnosis during pregnancy but said the baby was now healthy and recovering well following the operation.

Medical experts described congenital diaphragmatic hernia as an uncommon but life-threatening condition that requires highly specialised neonatal care and timely surgical intervention. They said the successful outcome reflected coordinated efforts by surgeons, neonatologists, anaesthesiologists, nursing staff and the Special Newborn Care Unit team.