CHENNAI: A city-based private hospital performed a complex surgical procedure called thoracoscopic meshplasty on a newborn who was only three days old and diagnosed with a left diaphragmatic hernia while in the mother's womb. Following the surgery, the baby made a full recovery and was discharged within a week.

A routine pregnancy scan at the SRM Global Hospitals revealed a birth defect in the fetus where a hole in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs (stomach, intestines, liver) to move into the chest, stressing the lungs and heart, making it difficult for the baby to breath.

As a result, the child was born with only one lung, which was underdeveloped and compromised in function, a press release explained.

Paediatric surgeons Dr M Saravana Balaji and Dr N Prathiba performed the surgery as soon as the baby was stabilised after birth. After the delivery, the doctors ensured immediate intubation, and on the third day, the baby underwent thoracoscopic meshplasty.

The minimally invasive surgery involved making a small incision to push the displaced abdominal organs back into the abdomen. A surgical mesh was then used to reinforce the diaphragm, allowing the chest organs to develop properly. The baby recovered well and was discharged in a stable condition within a week.

Surgery was meticulously planned, including complex anaesthesia management, according to a press release from the hospital.