GDMC cardiology department performs pacemaker surgery on seven-year-old girl

Friday, 14 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN

The cardiology department of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) hospital successfully performed heart surgery and implanted a pacemaker in a seven-year-old girl recently. Providing information on the case, GDMC cardiologist Dr Amar Upadhyaya informed that a seven-year-old daughter of a labourer from Rudrapur had a congenital heart defect present since birth. Following a surgery to address this defect, her parents observed her developing lethargy and irritability. He further informed that observing the condition of their daughter, they once again consulted a doctor. The visit to the doctor revealed that she had a low heart rate and was diagnosed with a complete heart block. Subsequently, the family sought care at the cardiology department at GDMC hospital, he said. Following the initial evaluation, they decided to proceed with pacemaker implantation for the individual. However, challenges were encountered as traditional pacemakers are typically intended for use in adults who are less active and are not designed to meet the specific needs of a growing child, particularly during puberty and pregnancy when there is a higher demand for heart rate regulation. He highlighted that to address this, a specialised pacemaker was planned. Despite the lack of precedence for such a procedure in a seven-year-old child and the inherent complexities of implanting a pacemaker in a young heart, the cardiologist collaborated with the surgeon to adapt conventional techniques and successfully perform a unique procedure at GDMC. They succeeded by utilising distal conduction system pacing. This milestone marks the first pacemaker implantation surgery of its kind for a child of this age in India, he added.