Infant with a rare heart defect saved at the Nizhny Novgorod cardiology center

      July 23, 2025, 20:00

      [303]

      Society

      In Nizhny Novgorod, doctors performed a unique operation that saved the life of a newborn boy with a severe congenital heart defect.

      The surgical intervention took place at the Research Institute — the Specialized Cardiac Surgery Clinical Hospital named after Academician B.A. Korolyov. Medical professionals carried out reconstructive plastic surgery of the aortic arch on the eighth day of the infant’s life.

      According to the regional Ministry of Health, the operation was planned in advance. The heart defect was diagnosed as early as the 20th week of pregnancy thanks to ultrasound screening. This allowed doctors to prepare for the child's treatment immediately after birth.

      The operation was carried out with the participation of leading specialists from the A.N. Burnazyan Federal Medical Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery. The joint procedures with Moscow colleagues are part of regular knowledge exchange between the two institutions.

      Nizhny Novgorod Cardiac Center chief physician Anton Maksimov noted that performing such a "meticulous" operation was prepared for the arrival of experts from Moscow. According to him, the intervention required complete cessation of the infant’s heart and lungs, which were temporarily replaced by a heart-lung machine and special solutions supporting the heart’s function. He emphasized that similar pathologies were previously considered fatal, but now doctors have learned to treat them successfully.

      Yuri Sobolev, a surgeon at the Institute — SKKB, who performed the operation, reported that 12 days after the procedure, the child's condition stabilized, and he was transferred from intensive care to a ward with his mother. The postoperative period is proceeding without complications, and the baby has begun gaining weight.

      He also noted that the success of the operation was made possible through coordinated work among several city medical institutions. The future mother was under observation at the women’s consultation clinic, where during a routine screening, a heart defect was detected in the fetus. Subsequently, the patient was referred to the Regional Perinatal Center, which specializes in intrauterine pathology.

      “When the diagnosis was confirmed, they prepared special conditions for neonatal resuscitation, stabilization, and further transfer to our clinic,” he said.

      The Nizhny Novgorod Ministry of Health reminded that improving the quality of medical care and implementing advanced methods are key goals of the national project "Prolonged and Active Life." This project has been underway since 2025 by presidential order and includes 11 federal areas, such as combating cardiovascular diseases, developing emergency care, and modernizing primary healthcare.

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