In a remarkable medical achievement, doctors in Mumbai successfully performed a complex surgery on a premature baby born at just 30 weeks, weighing only 1.3 kilograms.
The newborn was suffering from a rare congenital condition known as Type C Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF), in which an abnormal connection forms between the trachea (windpipe) and the esophagus (food pipe), making it extremely difficult for the baby to breathe or swallow milk.
The baby was born in Vapi, Gujarat, but due to worsening health, the family reached out to Dr. Fazal Nabi, Director of Pediatrics at a private hospital in South Mumbai. Dr. Nabi traveled to Vapi himself and brought the baby to Mumbai on ventilator support. At the hospital, the baby was placed in intensive care and treated for sepsis and other complications.
On the third day, Dr. Nargish Barsewalla performed a one-stage surgery to remove the fistula and connect the esophagus. After the operation, the baby was kept in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Due to the low birth weight, intestinal activity remained sluggish.
Initially, the baby was fed through a nasogastric (NG) tube, and later via a gastrostomy tube. As the baby faced difficulty swallowing, Dr. Pankaj Dhawan carried out a special procedure called esophageal dilation — a medical technique used to widen the esophagus when it becomes narrowed.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the medical team, the baby is now able to breastfeed and has gained weight, reaching 1.8 kilograms.
