Congenital Heart Defects: Is Your New-Born Suffering From A Rare Heart Disease?

By Dr. (Prof.) Purshotam Lal in Cardiology

Aug 31, 2020

Parents go to extra length to ensure the safety of their kids, they take all possible precautions for their healthier future and it would be really devastating for parents who come to know that their babies might be suffering from some kind of life-threatening heart defects. However, sometimes life presents situations that we can’t help, one such health condition is Aortopulmonary window defect.

As per the cardiac experts at Metro Heart Institute the Aortopulmonary Window is a rare congenital heart disease with an incidence of 0.1%-0.2% of all cardiac malformation. In this condition Aorta which carries oxygenated blood to the body and Pulmonary trunk which carries deoxygenated blood to lungs for oxygenation are separate tubes. But, in the Aortopulmonary window, there is an abnormal window or connection which causes mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood leading to serious health complications. 

This defect is a congenital defect present at the time of birth, there is no specific reason for these kinds of defects, they may be caused by a myriad of factors including but not restricted to genetic disorders, socioeconomic situations, geographical implications, etc. So there are no specific preventive measures to ensure protection from these kinds of defects. However, early diagnosis and timely surgeries can help patients suffering from this condition lead a healthy and normal life post-recovery.

There are no visible signs that can indicate Aortopulmonary window defect, moreover, the small defects may be completely asymptomatic. However, the complications that arise due to the defect should be taken into consideration and patients should go for extensive diagnosis to detect Aortopulmonary window or other comorbidities at the best multispeciality hospital in India.

Some indications of Aortopulmonary window include:

• Poor appetite / poor weight gain
• Delayed growth
• Heart failure
• Irritability
• Rapid breathing and heartbeat
• Respiratory infections

Irrespective of the above-mentioned complications it is advisable to go for a complete checkup for timely diagnosis of any health complications at the best cardiology hospital in Delhi NCR.

The aortopulmonary window can be diagnosed by using the below-mentioned procedures:

• Physical examination using a stethoscope to hear audible murmur to check any leakage or slushing of blood in the heart.
• Two-dimensional echocardiography
• Chest X-Ray- The conventional radiography method

Cardiac MRI- this is done to get a detailed picture of your heart for proper analysis by experts at the best cardiology hospital in Noida.

Cardiac Catheterization- Cardiac catheterization is a specialized procedure in which a catheter (a long, flexible tube) is inserted into a vein or artery and guided into the heart. These kinds of procedures are regularly performed at Top Heart Hospitals in Noida.

Treatment of Aortopulmonary Window

Surgery is the only option for the treatment of Aortopulmonary window irrespective of the size of the defect. Cardiac Surgeons at best cardiology hospital in Delhi NCR  describe this surgery as patching or closure of the window between the aorta and the pulmonary artery with a patch. This surgery should be done at the latest once the condition has been diagnosed as the delay in the surgery can lead to serious health complications and even fatalities in some cases. 

The Aortopulmonary window has been classified into three types- type I, II and III depending upon the location of the defect. Out of these, type II which occurs in the distal part of the aortopulmonary septum adjacent to the right pulmonary artery is considered most difficult to operate.

As it is stated in the medical community ‘Rare diseases are rarely cured’ as they require strenuous efforts and exceptional skills for these procedures. We at the metro group of hospitals has an exceptional team under the superior guidance of world-renowned interventional cardiologist Dr. Purshotam Lal, who along with his team has performed thousands of successful procedures. We at Metro group of hospitals, one of the best cardiology hospitals in Delhi NCR are committed to providing the best treatment to our patients with the utmost care and thousands of smiles are a testimonial to that.

Recent Aortopulmonary Window Case Treated by Metro Group

Our cardiac team at Meteromas Hospital, Jaipur recently operated on a critical 2-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with TYPE II Aortopulmonary Window condition. The patient was taken on cardiopulmonary bypass procedure with mild hypothermia and closure was done with a dacron patch. We are proud to announce that the Surgery was completed successfully and the patient was discharged after 5 days of care by our cardiac team. The patient is in regular follow up and is doing well.

It feels good to share a story with happy endings. At the Metro Hospital, our cardiac team always give their best and are eager to be part of many more happy stories like this.

We at the Metro group of hospitals are always committed to realizing the vision of providing world-class healthcare at an affordable cost and to achieve excellence in Healthcare services by offering exceptional care through state of the art technology.

The Metro Group was established in the year 1997 by Padama Vibhusan, Padma Bhusan and Dr. B C Roy National Awardee Dr. Purshotam Lal with the vision to provide world-class healthcare amenities to his countrymen at an affordable cost.

Metro Group of Hospitals are the leading healthcare centers in our country boasting an ultra-modern infrastructure providing multispeciality care by an exceptional team of healthcare professionals under the leadership of world-renowned interventional cardiologist Dr. Purshotam Lal. We at Metro hospitals provide multispecialty care for 35 specialties that include Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Respiratory, Oncology, Orthopaedics Joint replacement, Gastro and Bariatric Surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery, etc. 

 Dr. Purshotam Lal is a world-renowned cardiologist who has been trained at world’s top medical institutions in UK, Germany, and USA and has been granted fellowships at American College of Cardiology; American College of Medicine; Royal College of Physicians (Canada); Indian College of Cardiology & Society for Cardiac Angiography Interventions (USA). He has been constantly innovating and has provided the world with various procedures in the field of Interventional Cardiology. He has successfully implemented these procedures and has treated thousands of patients suffering from complex heart diseases.

He made monumental contributions in the clinical development of Monodisc Device and for the first time in medical history performed heart hole (ASD) Closure on a patient from Tamil Nadu. Some of the other procedures that were performed by Dr. Purshotam Lal for the first time include

• The first case of Aortic Valve Replacement with Core Valve, without surgery on July 12, 2004.
• The 1st case in high-risk Aortic Valvuloplasty in July 1990 for the 1st time in the Medical Literature.
• Introduced INOUE Balloon, the most popular balloon for opening tight valve, for the 1st time in the country.
• Developed a new concept of “METRO CORONARY SCREENING” for the patients who have been having a phobia of conventional coronary angiography.
• Introduced more than 20 interventional procedures in the country such as Coronary Atherectomy, Slow Rotational Angioplasty, Rotablator, etc.
• Performing the largest no of angioplasties/stenting as a single operator in the world – as per HEAL Survey – the leading health magazine.

 His contributions in the field of interventional cardiology are numerous and he is constantly working to provide affordable healthcare to all.