Nagpur: The city is emerging as a medical tourism hub, domestically as well as internationally. Recently, a three-and-a-half-month-old boy from Uganda, born with serious heart-related deformities, was operated upon at Wockhardt Hospital. Micah Sekakoni had an 11mm hole in his heart. Pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. Sandeep Khanzode cured it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe baby had a complex heart disease known as \u2018endocardial cushion defect\u2019 and \u2018AV septal defect,\u201d said Dr. Khanzode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Endocardial cushion defect (ECD) is an abnormal heart condition. The walls separating all the four chambers of the heart are poorly formed or are absent. Also, the valves separating the upper and lower chambers of the heart have defects during formation. ECD is a congenital heart disease since birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe baby\u2019s mitral valve was straddling a problem which makes surgery difficult. The surgery was done with several minute vigilances and the baby made a very quick recovery,\u201d added Dr. Khanzode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parents said they decided to bring their child to India for post-operative care because Uganda does not facilities for such a high-end pediatric surgery. Local authorities advised them to get the surgery done at Wockhardt Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we started contacting the team of Nagpur\u2019s Wockhardt hospital, we felt quite assured in bringing our child here and getting him treated. This assurance increased even more once we reached the hospital,\u201d said Charlie Sekakoni, father of Micah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had our own concerns regarding coming to a different country all together where we don\u2019t know anybody and our child is to undergo a major surgery. But the doctors and staff made us feel at ease,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n