Premature baby with rare hernia successfully operated by Chennai doctors

CHENNAI: A three-part surgery was performed on a premature baby with Amyand's hernia, a rare condition where the appendix is located in the groin.

The boy, born in 28 weeks and operated on his 23rd day, was only the fourth known case in the world, a release from SRM Global Hospitals read.

A team of doctors performed the surgery which involved inguinal exploration, which is performed to examine and assess the groin area; appendectomy, to remove the appendix; and herniotomy, to repair the hernia. The entire procedure lasted an hour.

Doctors said the surgery was challenging as the boy, like any other premature baby, had an immature airway that made anesthesia difficult.

The low birth weight of the infant necessitated specialised postoperative care in the NICU to ensure proper recovery.

Dr M Saravana Balaji said, "While neonatal hernias are relatively common in preterm babies, Amyand's hernia affects only about 0.42% of these infants. Even rarer is the perforated appendix, occurring in just 0.1% of Amyand's hernia cases. To date, only three such cases have been reported globally."