‘Save a Child’s Heart’ by Apollo Hospitals Group

Apollo Hospitals performed rare heart surgery among 100 children with a complex heart condition through Save a Child's Heart (SACH).

The pediatric cardiology team at Apollo Hospitals Group had performed a rare heart surgery among 100 kids in the country in the last four years through the 'Save a Child's Heart' (SACH).

A complex congenital heart condition called single ventricle defect, where the section of ventricle is dysfunctional, very large holes in the heart and one of the lower chambers of the heart is often rudimentary.

Congenital Heart Disease – Septal Defects
Heart diseases that are present at birth are called “ Congenital heart diseases”.

Children with such condition would need multiple operations called fontan repairs to survive beyond a decade. In India, 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with single ventricle defects.

SACH was started to address all aspects of pediatric care, especially prevention, early detection, treatment, funding and follow up care.

Apollo Hospitals organized an event on March 13 at Hydrebad with the children treated for single ventricle defect condition and their parents.

Report Finds That Hospitalizations for Congenital Heart Disease Increasing at Greater Rate Among Adults Than Children
U.S. hospitalizations from 1998 through 2010 for children and adults with congenital heart disease were analyzed by Jared M. O'Leary, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and colleagues.

Sangita Reddy, joint MD of the Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “The total cost of the operation is around Rs.3 lakh. Government initiatives cover 50 percent of the costs and we waive bed and doctor charges. Even then there is a gap of Rs.75,000 which can be filled by donors.”

On the occasion, Ravi Krishnan, CEO and founder of Stepathlon, has come foward to support SACH, donated Rs.5 lakh for the cause.

Parents of Children With Congenital Heart Disease Needs Better Information
Physicians delivering the diagnosis need to do a better job of showing compassion, ensuring parents understand all their options and providing easily understandable information, based on a survey of parents of children with congenital heart disease.

Source-Medindia

Nonsurgical Correction of Congenital Heart Disease
Common cardiac birth defect, referred to as hole in the heart , has been corrected in six premature infants without subjecting them to open-heart surgery, using a new technique.