Iraqi child with heart beating 200 times per minute undergoes life-saving surgery at Delhi hospital

New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) A seven-year-old Iraqi boy suffering from persistent, fast heart rhythm with fatal consequences successfully underwent a life-saving procedure at a hospital here amid extreme caution owing to his young age and low body weight.

Doctors at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI) performed the rare and life-saving cardiac procedure electrophysiology study and radiofrequency ablation on the boy last month.

The patient suffered from incessant tachycardia - a persistent, fast heart rhythm that does not resolve on its own and can lead to serious complications like heart muscle weakening and heart failure, the hospital said in a statement.

The patient was born with an abnormal circuit in his heart.

"When presented at Fortis Escorts, Okhla the patient reported abnormal heart rhythms/beats ranging between 170-200 beats per minute," the statement said.

The normal heart beat ranges between 75 and 118 beats per minute.

The child weighed only 26 kilos and had been unwell for years with no medical interventions performed in his country owing to the high risks involved due to the patient's age and low bodyweight, the statement said.

The doctors in Iraq allegedly kept the young boy on medications that can potentially be toxic. Also such medications, severely restrict the quality of life and can have very bad side-effects on the body, it said.

After due consideration and consultations, his family finally brought him to India.

The doctors decided to perform an electrophysiology study (a diagnostic test that evaluates electric system to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms) and radiofrequency ablation (a medical procedure that uses heat generated from alternating current to destroy dysfunctional heart tissue causing arrhythmias) which is a rarely attempted procedure in children under 30 kilos due to the risks.

The team exercised extreme caution to protect the small heart structures and delicate blood vessels, the statement said.

The boy's abnormal electrical pathway was successfully treated after two hours of meticulous efforts by the doctors, restoring his heart beat to a normal rhythm, it stated.

Dr Aparna Jaswal, director - Department of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, FEHI, said, "This was a highly complex and rare case. Normally such procedures are delayed until the child weighs more than 30 kilos. However, in this case his condition was worsening and could have led to heart failure if the treatment was delayed any further," she said.

Dr Jaswal further added, "Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), the most common form of arrhythmia in children, is estimated to affect one in 1,000 children worldwide. The child has recovered well post procedure and has resumed normal activities after years of suffering. Pediatric ablations in such young and underweight patients are rare due to the risks of damaging the heart and blood vessels." Dr Vikram Aggarwal, facility director, FEHI Okhla said, "The specialised Pediatric Electrophysiology Programme at the hospital makes it one of the few centres in India capable of offering curative solutions to even the smallest and most high-risk patients. Each year, patients from across India and abroad who cannot access such advanced care in their own countries have been treated successfully at our hospital. PTI PLB MNK MNK