Queensland doctors save tiny ‘warrior’ heart patient Menasheh

The life of a tiny baby born two months early with a potentially deadly heart defect has been saved thanks to doctors at four major Queensland hospitals.

 

Little Menasheh was born with a major congenital heart defect, which was not detected until after birth.

 

The condition, known as Transposition of the Great Arteries with Ventricular Septal Defect (TGA, VSD), occurs when the two main blood vessels leaving the heart arises from the wrong chambers of the heart.

 

Menasheh weighed just 1.5kg when he was born eight weeks early on 28 April at Gold Coast Private Hospital. 

 

He was transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital where his cardiac defect was diagnosed and stabilised, before being transferred by ambulance to the Neonatal Critical Care Unit at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane.

 

A world-leading team of doctors, nurses, and allied health clinicians provided around-the-clock care in preparation for his life-saving surgery at the nearby Queensland Children’s Hospital, just 14 days after birth.

 

Menasheh’s early arrival was an “emotional rollercoaster” for northern New South Wales parents Tziporah, 37, and Matthew, 32, who described their son as a “miracle”.

 

The couple are telling their story to shine a spotlight on World Heart Day today (29 September) and to recognise the medical teams who have supported baby Menasheh.

 

“He is absolutely a warrior – a little fighter,” Tziporah said as she held back tears.

 

“We are out of the woods now, but everything is still raw and so real,” Tziporah said.

 

Tziporah, from Mullumbimby, said the medical team at Mater was able to give her son the “best fighting chance”.

 

Mater Director of Neonatology Dr Pita Birch said the odds were against Menasheh due to his prematurity, low birth weight and major congenital heart disease.

 

“Tziporah’s baby did really well considering the combination of factors he faced,” Dr Birch said.

 

“TGA can be difficult to pick up on antenatal scanning. The medical team on the Gold Coast did a great job,” Dr Birch said.

 

Dr Birch said the neonatal critical care provided to Menasheh was complex, involving careful management of complications of prematurity as well as heart disease.

 

A nine-and-a-half hour operation led by Queensland Children’s Hospital Director of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Dr Prem Venugopal, ultimately saved Menasheh’s life. 

 

It was the first time a premature baby with a birth weight under 2kg and complex cardiac condition had been operated on at Queensland Children’s Hospital. 

 

“We tend not to do surgeries on babies less than 2kg – it was definitely an unusual case,” Dr Venugopal said. 

 

“Without the surgery he was not going to survive.”

 

Dr Venugopal performed an arterial switch and VSD closure surgery on Menasheh, which involved cutting off the aorta and pulmonary arteries just above the point where they leave the heart. 

 

He said an “unusual and challenging coronary pattern” meant the aorta and the ventricles were reversed in their origins from the heart. 

 

“The surgery involved reconnecting them to the proper ventricle,” he said.

 

Tziporah said the mammoth surgery was the “longest day of our lives”. 

 

“My husband and I were at our wits’ end. We were in a dark hole in despair waiting for the call and when we did it was to say Menasheh coped well and was back in his cot,” she said.

 

Tziporah said seeing her baby after major heart surgery was “very confronting”.

 

“He was completely sedated. He had drains coming out of his little body,” she said.

 

“Despite us knowing the grim outlook of risks involved in the procedure, and that it could result in death, we stayed strong for our little boy.

 

“Dr Prem gave us an immense sense of confidence from the moment we met him.

 

“He came to Mater, sat with us and explained our son’s surgery.”

 

After a month-long stay in hospital, little Menasheh is now back home enjoying quality time with his parents.

 

“He’s a happy and bubbly little boy, tipping the scales at 5.25kg,” Tziporah said.