Four children from Honduras, each under the age of five, have new leases on their lives following open heart surgeries performed at no cost to their families by the specialist medical teams at Health City Cayman Islands.
Each of the children suffered from complex congenital heart disease with little chance of long- term survival until they were placed under the care of Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, a leading cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, along with a dedicated team of professionals at Health City Cayman Islands, who quickly diagnosed the children’s needs and performed open heart surgery.
Less than three weeks after being evaluated and screened in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the children were flown to the Cayman Islands. The costs of the trip and medical care were covered thanks to the generous support of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, and Have a Heart Cayman Islands which provides cardiac procedures to children in need throughout the Caribbean and around the world.
“All the children treated had very complex cardiac diseases,” said Dr. Binoy, as he is commonly called by his peers and patients. “Had they not received this treatment, they wouldn’t have had much more time,” asserted the heart specialist, who believes “every child deserves the opportunity to be healthy.”
Dr. Binoy reported Marian Nahomy, a five-month old girl with Down syndrome, was having trouble gaining weight because of a large hole in her heart (Ventricular Septal Defect) and an abnormal communication between two major blood vessels (Patent Ductus Arteriosus), causing both defects to mix pure and impure blood together resulting in high lung pressure.
Marian’s case was the most complex due to her chromosomal condition. However, Dr. Binoy was able to patch the hole with her body tissue, the abnormal connection was interrupted and Marian can now look forward to a longer life.
Sebastian Andres, a nine-month old boy, suffered from a rare and complex heart condition called Tetralogy Of Fallot, a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth, causing him to experience potentially lethal hypoxic tet spells or ‘blue baby syndrome’, which Dr. Binoy and his team surgically repaired. “Sebastian’s blue colour complexion disappeared and he was able to play with his mother immediately after being discharged,” Dr. Binoy reported.
Sodi Jair, a two-year old boy, arrived to Health City Cayman Islands with three defects in the heart – a large hole, blockage of blood in the right passage of the heart, and obstruction below the left sided valve. Four year-old Ever Giovani also had three heart defects (a large hole, severe obstruction of the passage that takes blood to the lungs and an abnormal connection between two major blood vessels). Both boys are doing well after the paediatric heart surgeries and have already returned home.
“The children were all discharged within days of the surgery and are experiencing a healthy recovery,” said Dr. Binoy, who is in communication with their local paediatric cardiologists in Honduras to assist with follow-up care.
January 28, 2016 – St. Lucia News, iNews
January 29, 2016- Cayman Reporter
