Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Feb 12: In a powerful testament to accessible healthcare, a 9-year-old girl from a remote village in Kathua district has returned home with a healthy heart, having undergone a complex open-heart surgery at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Narayana Superspeciality Hospital.
The intricate procedure was performed by a team led by Dr Vinod Bhan (Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon) and Dr Romil Dutt Sharma (Consultant Cardiac Surgeon).
Explaining the innovation used, Dr Vinod Bhan and Dr Romil Dutt Sharma noted, “The child’s heart valve was critically narrowed. Instead of replacing it with an expensive artificial valve that would require lifelong medication—a difficult burden for a rural family—we used a novel technique, by mobilizing and reshaping right atrial appendage as autologous living new pulmonary valve and reconstructed RVOT with pericardium. This is a specialized technique that ensures the valve grows with her, offering a normal life without dependency on blood thinners and showing good long term results compared to synthetic valves.”
The critical task of managing the child’s stability during the intricate surgery was handled by the anaesthesia team comprising Dr Maninder Singh (Senior Consultant) and Dr Shivani Sharma (Junior Consultant).
For the young girl’s family, her breathlessness and inability to play were a source of constant worry. As residents of a small village in Kathua, the prospect of specialized heart surgery seemed financially impossible. They had previously visited various centers in North India, but the costs and logistical challenges were overwhelming.
Dr Yashpal Sharma, Executive Director of SMVD Institute of Medical Excellence, remarked, “The Shrine Board’s mission is to ensure that geography and poverty are never barriers to life-saving treatment. By establishing this Superspeciality Hospital and supporting it with schemes like Ayushman Bharat, we have changed the healthcare landscape of J&K.”
Dr MM Mathavan, Facility Director, added, “This is our ‘Comprehensive Care’ promise in action. From identifying the patient at a camp to performing high-end surgery and ensuring a free discharge, we are committed to serving the last person in the queue.”
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