Monday, August 31, 2009

Wrapping a baby's heart in Gore-Tex


You won't read about this every day: "Baby born with heart outside his chest." Apparently, a newborn baby boy with a heart protruding from his chest is set to undergo a complex surgery in New Delhi, India. According to CNN, the child also has a hole in his heart and is thought to have an extremely rare condition called ectopia cordis where the chest fails to close over all or part of the heart.

So where does Gore-Tex (a waterproof, breathable fabric used in outdoor clothing) fit into the story? Back in 2006, surgeons in Florida wrapped a baby's heart in Gore-Tex because that baby had a similar condition where the heart was outside the chest.

I don't know if the surgeons in India will be using Gore-Tex, but it sounds like they will be using a total circulatory arrest procedure during the surgery. I hope and pray that the baby will have a positive outcome. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this in days to come...

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