Pune Doctors Pull Off Breakthrough ECMO Rescue for Newborn with Complex Heart Defect

AICTS Pune doctors use advanced ECMO support to save a newborn with a rare congenital heart condition, marking a landmark in neonatal critical care.

Pune| December 25,2025: In a landmark medical achievement, doctors in Pune successfully saved a newborn with a rare and complex congenital heart condition using Extra‑Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a highly advanced life-support technique rarely applied in neonates. The baby, born with severe structural heart defects, developed immediate cardiac complications and required urgent intervention beyond what the birth hospital could provide. The infant was transferred to Pune, where a multidisciplinary team of paediatric cardiac surgeons, intensivists, anaesthesiologists, cardiologists, and specialised nursing staff began stabilisation with high-frequency ventilation and dialysis for associated kidney dysfunction, preparing the newborn for corrective heart surgery.

After the open-heart procedure, the infant’s heart and lungs were too weak to function independently. Physicians decided to initiate ECMO support, which acts as an artificial heart and lungs, circulating and oxygenating blood outside the body to allow the organs time to recover. Administering ECMO for a neonate weighing under three kilograms posed immense technical challenges, requiring precise monitoring and continuous multidisciplinary coordination.

Over nearly 90 hours on ECMO, the newborn’s cardiac and pulmonary functions gradually improved, enabling weaning from life support and independent breathing. The successful recovery highlighted the critical importance of early detection, advanced life-support readiness, and teamwork in neonatal critical care.

Medical experts view this case as a major milestone for neonatal cardiac care in India. It underscores the significance of specialised intensive care units and high-end life-support technologies in improving survival rates for infants with rare congenital conditions. The achievement sets a precedent for future complex neonatal cases and demonstrates the growing capability of Indian healthcare institutions to manage the most delicate medical challenges.

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