Baby born with heart outside body survives against the odds after life-saving surgery



A 10-day-old baby born with his heart outside of his body, has undergone revolutionary life-saving surgery.

During the four-hour operation, 13 surgeons created a space for the baby's heart inside his body by shifting his lungs and liver. They did not stop the heart at any point.



'As there was no place for the baby's heart in his chest, we had to create it,' Dr Yogendra Gupta said.

The unnamed body had his heart tucked inside his chest during a four-hour operation

The brave youngster has already amazed doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi for surviving so long.



The incredibly rare defect ectopia cordis affects only eight in every million births and ninety per cent of these are stillborn or die within three days.

Dr RC Deka, the director of AIIMS said: 'The baby has been shifted to the ICU. Though he is stable, this is a critical time and we are closely monitoring his condition.'

The doctors will keep the boy under observation and decide later whether he will need further surgery.

The baby was taken by his father Majhi, 26 and mother Vibha, travelled with their sick son 685miles in a rickety train compartment to get medical aid.



Doctors replaced the baby's infected blood after he arrived at the hospital and treated him for dehydration.

The baby's father said they were indebted to the doctor in their home state of Bihar in eastern India, who paid for the trip.