Posted on 11/23/2006 7:10:03 AM PST by Kaslin
MIAMI - Using a piece of Gore-Tex fabric to make their repairs, doctors performed corrective surgery on a baby born with his heart outside his chest, and said Wednesday that the youngster should be able to lead a close-to-normal life.
Naseem Hasni underwent surgery to put his heart inside his chest hours after being delivered by Caesarean section Oct. 31 at Holtz Children's Hospital.
He remained in critical but stable condition Wednesday.
"He's not going to be able to play certain kinds of sports where a blow to the sternum to you and me wouldn't be a problem, but in him it would be. So I think some competitive sports are going to be out," said Dr. Eliot Rosenkranz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, "but he's going to be able to participate in other sorts of activities."
He added: "Certainly the goal is as normal a childhood as he can achieve."
Before the surgery, Naseem's heart looked like a peeled plum sitting atop his pink chest, with the aorta diving back underneath the skin. Nevertheless, the heart was beating away normally.
During the six-hour operation, surgeons first wrapped Naseem's heart in Gore-Tex, then a layer of his own skin, to substitute for his missing pericardium, the sac that encloses the heart. The heart was then slowly eased inside his chest.
The baby was born with an extremely rare congenital defect, ectopia cordis, in which the heart grows outside the body and the chest wall and sternum fail to develop. The defect was spotted in an ultrasound exam in late September after the mother, Michelle Hasni, 33, began feeling unusual movement from the baby.
"He was having hiccups, but it was constantly and it was every day. I wasn't sure what the movement was," the Miami woman said.
Naseem was delivered at 36 weeks, a few days early. Surgeons made a larger incision than normal to ensure that the heart would not be squeezed or touch any part of the womb. Other than the heart defect, Naseem had developed normally: He was 21 inches long and weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
In a few weeks, Naseem will be fitted with a protective piece of plastic to wear over his chest. When he is about 6 months old, surgeons will graft pieces of his own ribs across his chest to create a sternum, or breastbone.
While doctors had not initially been sure that Naseem would survive until Thanksgiving, he could be home with his family as early as Christmas, Rosenkranz said.
Ectopia cordis occurs 5.5 to 7.9 times per 1 million live births, and the survival rate after surgery is less than 50 percent, the boy's doctors said.
This baby is in a much better place than liberals - no heart at all, not just outside of their bodies.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
If GoreTex lasts a lifetime, it can't grow with the heart. I'm guessing it is temporary while the skin forms a new pericardium (but then, what do I know?).
Indeed
incredible!
Another element of the great satan at work, no doubt.
GoreTex.....just another cool invention by algore.
Also, imagine the technological advances during his lifetime. I am amazed to see what's happened in medicine in my own lifetime. What may have killed our grandparents is solved with a quick doctor's visit and shot. We've come to take so much for granted and now think we should live forever!
God bless the doctors, and the scientists who labor quietly for years/decades developing this stuff. Everyone knows who Terrell Owens is, but does anyone know who developed Gore-tex ? Not that we're a society that has its priorities out of whack, or anything ;)
The mother doesn't look Muslim. She probably married one though and converted
While doctors had not initially been sure that Naseem would survive until Thanksgiving, he could be home with his family as early as Christmas, Rosenkranz said.
"I'm sure everybody goes through denial, depression, but I have a strong faith in God and know he isn't going to give me anything I can't handle," Hasni said. She and her husband, Ghazi Habib Hasni, have two other children, a boy, 13, and a girl, 8.
"Everybody I know is praying for him — my husband's family in North Africa, Tunisia, and my family is in Great Britain, and friends and family here, too."
Although his condition is listed as critical, Naseem has been doing well and will be weaned off the machine that is helping him breathe in the next day or two, Rosenkranz said.
"I haven't been able to hold him yet," Hasni said wistfully, "but I'm hoping to get him home before Christmas."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003444316_baby23.html
It is wonderful what surgeons in USA can do. You would think the rest of the world would applaud this, rather than calling us the great satan all the time. My friend's baby was born many months early in early Sept. He isn't due until Christmas. He just went home last week. At birth he was only 2 lbs and about one foot long. He made it to 5 lbs and went home. He had the most wonderful 24 hour care in neonatal in Tulsa Okla. Kyler is doing great. Thanks to our wonderful doctors in America! We are still praying for Kyler's continued progress and we are still praying for God to guide all doctors as they save lives.
So all I can say is, baby boy Naseem ... never, ever tell this story to any of your Muslim friends ... and mama .. I'm afraid you and your son's life may be in danger ... but that's just my opinion.
The Gore Tex part bothers me. What happens when his heart grows?
Prayers for the baby. May the surgery and treatment be a successful one.
Amazing stuff.
I don't know who Terrell Owens is.
susie
FUNNY!!! :-)
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