Healing a Heart on Valentine's Day

About two weeks ago, a baby boy was born to Couple X from Hadera in the 25th week of pregnancy. His weight – 600 grams, but Newborn and Neonatal Care Department, where he was placed on a ventilator under close supervision.

"Despite his stable condition, we saw that it would be difficult to disconnect him from the respirator," said Dr. Michael Feldman, Director of the Newborn and Neonatal Care Department at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. "The reason – the duct connecting the artery exiting the heart and aorta that is vital to fetuses (the ductus arteriosis) did not close, a physiological occurrence that generally occurs in full-term infants. All of the drugs we administered to close the duct failed, so we decided to perform surgery to close it." 

The surgery was scheduled for today, February 14, 2012 – Valentine's Day – without any thought to the significance of the date. It was only after the surgery had been successfully completed that we noticed the rather extraordinary coincidence of the heart being repaired on Valentine's Day. 

The Neonatal Team, Operating Room and Anesthesia during Surgery 

"The location of the surgery was also unusual," said Dr. Feldman. "We generally transfer the infant to an operating room, and even to another hospital. In this case, because of the baby's low weight, the decision was made to avoid any unnecessary movement. We created a completely sterile and closed zone in the unit. The neonatal team, along with the anesthesiologists and operating room nurse, came to us. The surgery was performed by pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. David Mishali, who made a special trip from a fellow hospital to perform the surgery. It is difficult to find the words to express the emotions of the entire staff on this special occasion."  

Dr. Feldman summed things up by saying, "The surgery, as previously mentioned, was a success. The baby is showing extremely positive signs. In principle, these types of surgeries tend to go well, but there is always a risk to life due to the low weight, with accompanying complications such as infection. His parents, of course, received a comprehensive explanation of his condition. The baby is currently hospitalized and is being closely monitored and examined. Valentine's Day or not – they and the team are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that he will continue to grow strong and go home quickly."  

The attending team before returning the preemie back to the incubator 

 To the Newborn and Neonatal Care Department»