Lucknow: In a major medical breakthrough, Apollo Medics Super Speciality Hospital has successfully performed Uttar Pradesh’s first ‘keyhole’ heart surgery on a four-year-old child, using a minimally invasive technique without cutting the chest bone.
The complex procedure involved closing a hole in the child’s heart through a tiny incision of about 3 cm—smaller than a safety pin opening—marking a significant advancement in pediatric cardiac care in the state.
According to doctors, the child had been suffering from recurrent lung infections and breathing difficulties. Medical examinations revealed a congenital heart defect, which traditionally requires open-heart surgery involving a large incision in the chest and a longer recovery period.
However, the surgical team at Apollo Medics adopted Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, enabling them to operate through a small incision made below the shoulder. The heart defect was repaired using a bypass machine, all through this limited access point.
Cardiac surgeon Dr Rahul Bhushan, who led the procedure, said operating on young children using this method is particularly challenging due to the small size of their hearts. He added that specialized training, including a fellowship at the National Heart Centre in Singapore, helped bring this advanced technique to Lucknow.
“The child’s heart is three to four times smaller than that of an adult, making access through a small incision technically demanding. In children, even connecting to the bypass machine becomes more complex due to underdeveloped blood vessels,” he explained.
The surgery lasted approximately three hours and offered multiple benefits over conventional methods. It avoided cutting bones or major muscles, reduced blood loss, and ensured faster recovery. The child was kept in the ICU for just one day and discharged from the hospital within two days—significantly shorter than the usual five to ten days required after traditional surgery.
Dr. Bhushan also highlighted that the procedure leaves minimal scarring, allowing the child to lead a normal life without physical limitations in the future.
CEO and Managing Director of the hospital, Dr Mayank Somani, described the achievement as a milestone for healthcare in Uttar Pradesh. He said the hospital aims to bring advanced medical technologies closer to patients so they do not need to travel to metro cities or abroad for specialized treatment.
Doctors confirmed that the child is now recovering well, with normal heart function restored. The success of this procedure is expected to pave the way for safer and more advanced cardiac surgeries for children in the region.
