Newborn fitted with pacemaker

MULTAN:

A team of doctors at Children's Hospital successfully implanted a pacemaker into the heart of a 14-day newborn hailing from Rakhni, Balochistan. It was the first time a pacemaker was implanted to a baby in South Punjab.

Children's Hospital spokesperson Dr Maaz Qureshi informed the media on Tuesday that a surgical procedure was conducted for the newly-born Samina, who was admitted to the facility with an irregular heartbeat.

"Her heart rate was 35 beats per minute (bpm) before the procedure, when normally it is 120 bpm," he said, adding that the procedure was conducted by Dr Ali Bokhari and his team on October 31. The four-hour procedure was the "first-ever implant of a pacemaker" on a baby in South Punjab, Dr Maaz stated.

The condition of the baby, currently in the CCU of the hospital, was confirmed normal, the spokesperson said, adding that she was being taken care of properly. Dean Children Complex Dr Kashif Chishti congratulated HoD Cardiology Dr Sohail Arashad, Asst Prof. Dr Ali Bokhari, Dr Mudassar, nurses and paramedics for the successful surgery.