Ahmedabad, August 2: A remarkable surgery has been successfully performed on a two-and-a-half-year-old boy at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The child was born with a rare condition where his esophagus was not properly formed.
Following the complex surgery, the boy is now able to eat food orally. Hospital officials announced this achievement from the pediatric surgery department on Sunday.
The child, named Mantavya, is the son of Shailesh Patel from the Sanand area of Ahmedabad district. He was born on November 7, 2023, with a congenital condition known as “pure esophageal atresia.” In this condition, the two ends of the esophagus are too far apart to form a complete tube.
As a result, he was unable to consume milk or food orally since birth. To save his life, surgeons performed an esophagostomy and a gastrostomy on the second day after his birth, creating an opening in his throat and inserting a tube directly into his stomach. He was then fed through this tube and underwent regular check-ups.
Once his nutritional status, weight, and physical development improved, the doctors decided to proceed with the definitive esophageal surgery. This operation was conducted on July 3 using the “advanced gastric pull-up” technique, which utilizes a portion of the stomach to create a new esophagus.
The surgery was led by Dr. Rakesh Joshi, the Medical Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and head of the pediatric surgery department. The team included Dr. Jaishree Ramji, along with anesthesiologists Dr. Aditi and Sonal Bhalawat.
Twenty-three days post-operation, Mantavya ate food orally for the first time. The doctors reported that the child has recovered without any complications and has been discharged from the hospital in good health.
According to medical statistics, “tracheoesophageal fistula” (TEF) occurs in 1 out of every 2,500 to 4,000 children. However, in cases of pure esophageal atresia, where the ends of the esophagus are very distant, gastric pull-up surgery is considered the most effective treatment, with a success rate of 85 to 90 percent.
Dr. Rakesh Joshi stated, “Such surgeries require specialized technical expertise and an experienced team. Maintaining the child’s nutrition and performing the operation at the right time are key to success. This advanced surgery, which is often very expensive in private hospitals, is available for free at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. In the past year, our team has successfully completed seven such complex cases.”
The child’s parents expressed their deep emotions upon seeing their son eat for the first time. They extended their gratitude to all the doctors and hospital staff involved in his treatment.
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