For children born with complex heart defects in which only one ventricle can support circulation, the Fontan procedure is the final stage of treatment for many, redirecting blood retuning from the lower half of the body directly to the lungs, so that the single functioning ventricle can pump oxygen-rich blood into the body.

Traditionally, children with single-ventricle heart disease have had to undergo many major heart operations before the Fontan stage. Now, however, Apollo’s paediatric cardiology and paediatric cardiothoracic surgery teams have developed and refined a technique that enables the Fontan pathway to be completed using catheters, wires, and stents through blood vessels, said C.S. Muthukumaran, senior consultant and head, department of paediatric cardiology, Apollo Children’s Hospital, at a press meet held on Tuesday.

This percutaneous procedure, first performed by the hospital in 2023 and the work published, is not suitable for every child; it requires careful selection and assessment of patients, but in those found suitable, it offers the advantages of the procedure being done under local anaesthesia, no ICU stay, and a quicker return home, Dr. Muthukumaran said.

50 procedures done

Dr. Muthukumaran added that 50 Fontan pathway procedures had been performed. The aim is to reduce the burden of yet another major procedure for children who have already undergone a lot of treatment.

Neville A.G. Solomon, director, paediatric cardiothoracic services at the hospital, said this milestone gave hope to children and their families. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai Region and Sushila Narayanasamy, unit head, Apollo Women and Children’s Hospitals, Chennai, also participated.

Doctors from Apollo Hospitals, Visakhapatnam on Monday successfully treated a 35-year-old woman patient suffering from Achalasia Cardia, a condition that made swallowing food and liquids increasingly difficult, using an advanced technique called POEM (Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy).

The doctors said that Achalasia Cardia occurs when the valve connecting the food pipe to the stomach fails to relax, causing food to get stuck, leading to weight loss and chest discomfort. In POEM, doctors access the affected muscle through the mouth using an endoscope, avoiding any external cuts or scars on the body. The patient recovered quickly and was able to resume a normal diet within days of the procedure, said Dr Varun Teja, who performed the procedure.