A remarkable surgery was carried out on an eight-month-old boy in Odesa. A special electrode was implanted in the infant's heart to help the muscle contract properly.
Details about the surgery and the child's condition are reported by "Suspilne". The boy, named Hlib, is currently in the intensive care unit.
The parents discovered their child's heart defect after birth, which made this period quite challenging due to significant risks.
Additional specialists were involved in the combined surgery. Using ultrasound equipment, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons located the very thin subclavian vein.
"We implanted the electrode not in the muscle but in the heart's conduction system itself. According to our findings, this is the first case documented in the literature for such small children. We targeted the heart's conduction system, the left bundle, and achieved excellent electrophysiological and mechanical results. First the electrical impulse, then we ensured the heart's contraction," explained surgeon Yuriy Karpenko.
This surgery is unique because it is the first of its kind performed on a child under one year old. It sparked international interest, leading to Ukrainian doctors being invited to the University of Chicago to publish this case in leading medical journals.
"Like everyone, we use artificial intelligence, Google, and so on. All of this can be verified. And that is why such a resonance occurred around this surgery. We are very pleased that this was done in our country, in Ukraine, in Odesa, at our hospital," the doctor explained.
The baby is currently in intensive care. The implanted pacemaker will ensure the boy's heart function for 15 years.