Medical Miracle: Newborn With Rare Intestinal Condition Saved In First-Ever Neonatal Surgery At Kharghar’s Medicover Hospital
In a major medical breakthrough, doctors at Medicover Hospital, Kharghar, successfully saved a newborn girl suffering from a rare and critical condition—ileal perforation with fecal peritonitis—a combination that carries a survival rate of less than 10%. This marks the hospital’s first neonatal surgery, made possible through timely intervention, expert neonatal care, and a multi-disciplinary team effort.
The baby, born full-term to Kamothe residents Suhas and Shraddha Rane in February, began showing signs of distress within hours of birth. Weak crying and respiratory difficulty led to her immediate admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). By the end of the first day, her abdomen had become swollen. An X-ray revealed pneumoperitoneum—gas in the abdominal cavity—indicating an intestinal perforation, requiring emergency surgery.
Dr Tanmesh Kumar Sahu, Consultant Neonatologist and NICU In-Charge at Medicover, led the critical care efforts. “This was a spontaneous intestinal perforation, extremely rare in full-term babies and typically seen in very low birth weight infants,” said Dr Sahu. “Without urgent surgery, survival was unlikely. The baby’s parents were initially hesitant, but with thorough counseling, we proceeded with surgery overnight on Day 2 of life.”
Pediatric Surgeon Dr Pooja Multani conducted the emergency laparotomy. “The middle part of the small intestine had a perforation and was heavily contaminated,” she explained. “A 10 cm segment was removed, and both ends were brought out as a mid-ileum ileostomy. The baby was underweight and septic, making this a high-risk surgery.”
The second surgery—the stoma reversal—was planned after the baby gained weight, reaching approximately 3 kg. “The risk of surgical breakdown was significant, but with strong parental support and close NICU care, the procedure was a success,” said Dr Multani.
Post-surgery, the newborn faced numerous complications. She remained on ventilator support and required Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). A high-output stoma resulted in significant fluid loss, diarrhea, and poor weight gain. “The baby’s weight dropped to 2.2 kg despite full feeds. With few standard guidelines available even internationally, we tried various strategies including hydrolyzed protein formula, which was finally tolerated,” said Dr Sahu.
The medical team monitored fluids and nutrition every eight hours, managing complications like infections and TPN-related liver injury. At 2.5 months, a successful stoma closure was performed. The baby was finally discharged on May 14, weighing 3.2 kg, with normal neurodevelopment and feed tolerance. “Seeing her smile for the first time in the NICU reminded us we weren’t just saving a life, we were preserving a future,” added Dr Sahu.
On follow-up, the baby showed steady weight gain and normal developmental milestones.
Father of the baby, Suhas Rane said, “It was devastating to hear our baby needed surgery right after birth. But the doctor and his team were our strength. Watching her grow and thrive now is nothing short of a miracle.”
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