Fortis Mohali performs life-saving surgeries on two newborns with rare congenital disorders
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, April 29, 2026: Doctors at Fortis Hospital Mohali successfully treated two critically ill newborns suffering from rare and life-threatening congenital conditions, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and specialised neonatal surgical care.
The complex procedures were carried out by a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Sandeep Kumar Jaglan, Consultant in Pediatric Surgery, demonstrating advanced expertise in handling high-risk neonatal cases.
In the first case, a one-day-old premature baby weighing just 1.9 kg was diagnosed with esophageal atresia with distal tracheoesophageal fistula, a rare condition where the food pipe is not fully developed and is abnormally connected to the windpipe.
The baby was also suffering from tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that affects oxygen flow in the body.
The newborn developed severe breathing difficulties soon after birth. After a detailed clinical evaluation, doctors performed a complex three-hour surgery.
During the procedure, the team identified a 3.5 cm gap between the upper and lower ends of the esophagus. Surgeons successfully closed the abnormal connection with the windpipe and carefully rejoined the esophageal ends. Despite the complexity, blood loss was minimal, and the baby recovered fully within 15 days.
In another challenging case, a 35-day-old infant was treated for extrahepatic biliary atresia, a rare liver condition caused by blockage in the bile ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestine. The infant had persistent jaundice since birth, along with pale stools and dark urine—key warning signs of the disease.
The surgical team performed a Kasai portoenterostomy, a specialised procedure to create a new pathway for bile drainage into the intestine. Following the surgery, the infant showed significant improvement, with normalisation of stool colour and reduction in jaundice.
Speaking about the cases, Dr Jaglan emphasised that early diagnosis and timely intervention are critical in neonatal surgeries, especially in complex congenital disorders where every hour can make a difference. He added that such cases require not only surgical precision but also a highly coordinated multidisciplinary approach involving neonatologists, anaesthetists, intensivists, and specialised NICU support.
With advancements in pediatric surgery and neonatal care, many life-threatening congenital conditions can now be successfully treated, significantly improving survival rates and long-term quality of life for affected infants.