A hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, said on Thursday that it successfully carried out a heart transplant on a 66-day-old, 3-kg infant.
According to the Union Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huangzhong University of Science and Technology this is the youngest and lightest baby to receive such a surgery reported in China.
The baby girl was found to have aortic stenosis before she was born on April 3, and was diagnosed in May with congenital noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium.
The baby was also diagnosed with other congenital cardiac defects and experts said that heart transplant was the only way to extend the patient’s life.
On June 8, the baby matched with a suitable heart donor from a 4-year-old child, who lost all brain function.
The surgery was conducted at 2:35 p.m. the same day and lasted about five hours.
Dong Nianguo, head of the surgery team said so far, the baby’s heart and lung functions have gradually recovered and she is in stable condition.