Imagine a newborn baby born with a serious heart defect that needs surgery immediately. In a look back at 21 such infants at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, doctors found that getting them to the operating room quickly was key. The average time from birth to the operating room was just eight minutes. During the surgery, which used a heart-lung machine to take over circulation, the team managed the temperature and blood flow carefully.
The results were encouraging. All 21 babies were successfully taken off the heart-lung machine without needing to close the chest later. Nineteen out of the 21 babies survived, giving a 95% survival rate. The average time spent in the intensive care unit was 10 days, and the total hospital stay was about three weeks.
However, three of the 21 babies experienced major problems. One baby sadly died from multiorgan failure caused by a specific type of thickened heart muscle that blocked blood flow. The other two recovered after needing extra surgery. This study suggests that centers without fast surgical options might consider this approach, but the small number of patients means we cannot say for sure if this is the best choice for every situation.