Doctors at Kolhapur govt medical college save 5-year-old boy with rare heart condition

The procedure was conducted free of cost under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana scheme.

3 min readUpdated: Mar 25, 2025 12:25 AM IST

The team of doctors and hospital staff who treated a rare abnormal blood flow pattern in the heart of a five-year-old boy.

A team of doctors at the Rajarshee Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College and Chhatrapati Pramila Raje Hospital in Kolhapur successfully diagnosed and treated a rare abnormal blood flow pattern in a five-year-old boy’s heart.

“This is a very rare procedure as four coronary arteries (that supply blood to the heart) were flowing in an abnormal way that drained into the right side of the heart. If left untreated, it would have led to sudden death,” said Dr Akshay Bafna, additional professor and head of the Department of Cardiology, at the hospital.

The boy, a resident of Peth Vadgaon in Kolhapur, had symptoms such as breathlessness while playing, difficulty breathing, and severe chest pain. His parents consulted a private hospital where it was found that his heart rate was higher than that of normal children. Despite taking medications, there was no improvement in his condition, and the symptoms continued to worsen.

The boy underwent coronary angiography at a private hospital and seeing the complex nature of the disease, the patient was advised for open heart surgery. However, the parents sought further advice and consulted Dr Bafna. After performing a 2D Echo, Dr. Bafna diagnosed the child with a coronary cameral fistula (an abnormal connection between arteries of the heart and one of the chambers of the heart). He recommended an angiography, which confirmed an abnormal blood flow pattern in the heart.

To have a better understanding of the surgical anatomy, a cardiac CT scan was done and it showed that the four coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, were draining into aneurysmal fistula which was draining into the right chamber of the heart — a rare condition that significantly increased the risk of a heart attack and sudden death.

The procedure involved closing the fistula by placing a small 4mm vascular plug and coil through the right leg’s artery. “The procedure carried a high risk but was successfully performed without any stitches,” Dr Bafna said.

The surgery was completed successfully resulting in the disappearance of the murmur, the heart rate dropped to 85 minutes per minute and there was a significant reduction in the size of the aneurysm from 2.5 cm to 1.2cm.

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“There was a complete resolution of symptoms, the child’s risk of a heart attack was eliminated,” said Dr Bafna.

“Despite being a high-risk surgery and a complex case, the procedure was uneventful. The entire procedure was done free of cost under the MJPJAY scheme,” said Dr S More, dean of the hospital.

“The boy was recently discharged. The case is vital as the rare procedure was done after the medical college set up its super specialty department in cardiology just two years ago,” Dr Bafna added.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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