A two-year-old boy from Malda, born with a congenital heart condition where the aorta was in a wrong place in the heart, underwent a corrective surgery in a city hospital recently.

The boy arrived at the hospital with very low oxygen saturation levels — 60 to 65 per cent. Investigations revealed he had “transposition of great artery”, said Kuntal Roy Chowdhuri, consultant paediatric and adult cardiac surgeon at BM Birla Heart Research Centre, who treated the boy.

“In a healthy person, the aorta arises from the left ventricle. But in the case of this boy, it rose from the right ventricle. The child was not growing well. He weighed only 8kg whereas a boy of his age should be 12kg,” said Roy Chowdhuri.

“The pulmonary artery that should arise from the right ventricle, arose from the left ventricle. He also had hole between the two pumping chambers,” he said.

The volume of blood going to the lungs from the left ventricle was inadequate to meet his oxygen requirements, said Roy Chowdhuri.

Doctors had limited options, but chose the one requiring more complex surgery, as it offered greater long-term benefits.

“We chose the option of doing a Nikaidoh surgery that is more complex, requires more surgical expertise...,” said Roy Chowdhuri.

The parents were also informed about the options. They were told about risks and complications. They, too, chose the option with a better long-term outcome, said the surgeon.

The surgery was done in July. The boy was checked by the doctors a week after discharge and he was doing well. “He has gone back to Malda. He can lead a normal life,” he said.

Roy Chowdhuri was supported by Shyamajit Samaddar, paediatric cardiologist; Satarupa Mukherjee, paediatric cardiac intensivist; and Pravir Kumar Das, head of cardiac anaesthesia.

“The critical role of the perfusion team lead by Sudhakar Rao was very important,” said the surgeon.