Mumbai : Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai, has successfully treated a one-month-old baby which had bilateral diaphragmatic eventration, a rare and serious condition which severely affects breathing and respiration among new-borns. The successful surgery and post-op recovery of the infant, is a remarkable achievement in neonatal care.

The baby, Kabir Mansuri, was just seven days old when he was brought to the hospital in a critical state, with severe breathing difficulty and high carbon dioxide levels in the blood, leading to persistent respiratory distress. Initial investigations, which included 2D echocardiography, showed severe pulmonary hypertension. However, doctors suspected an additional underlying issue with the diaphragm. A CT scan then revealed a collapsed lung and pneumonia, while further tests confirmed poor movement of the diaphragm which pointed to a congenital defect. 

After stabilising the baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, the expert paediatric surgical team under the leadership of Dr. Rasiklal Shah, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Surgery, Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai, proceeded with minimal access or key hole thoracoscopic surgery on both sides to repair the eventration. Dr. Rasiklal Shah informed that this surgery was carried out by inserting a very thin camera and two instruments inside the chest of a baby to repair both sides of the diaphragm. Both diaphragms were very thin and weak, and needed very gentle and careful handling to plicate them. The plication pushes the diaphragm down and the lungs gets more space to expand, which in turn allows the exchange of gases to bring down the CO2 levels. The recovery of the baby was rapid due to key hole surgery. In addition, it prevents many long term issues and it is a preferred way to repair the diaphragm, whether the child has diaphragmatic hernia or eventration. 

Bilateral diaphragmatic eventration is an extremely rare congenital condition in which both sides of the diaphragm are abnormally elevated and have limited movement, leading to severe respiratory distress in newborns. If not treated promptly, it can lead to respiratory failure. 

Dr. Manju Kumari, Consultant – Critical Care Medicine, Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai, elaborated on the procedure and said, “It was a challenging case as we had to maintain optimum ventilation of the lungs to ensure the baby’s well-being throughout the procedure. Due to the extremely rare congenital defect of the diaphragm, the baby was managed on high-frequency ventilation to provide gentle support to the lungs, while still maintaining oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body within a safe range. The baby was successfully extubated and discharged without any complications.”

Dr. Zubin Pereira, Facility Director, Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai added, “This case is a testament to the strength of our expert multidisciplinary teams and the advanced neonatal care available at our hospital. Bilateral diaphragmatic eventration is extremely rare and poses life-threatening challenges for newborns. Successfully treating such a young and critically ill patient required seamless coordination between our critical care, surgery, and neonatal teams.”

Kabir’s case highlightsNarayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital’s expertise in handling complex neonatal and paediatric conditions through a multidisciplinary approach, cutting edge infrastructure, and specialised care. It reflects the hospital’s continued commitment to providing world-class treatment and giving critically ill children a new chance at life.