Ahmedabad Civil Hospital operates on child born without oesophagus

A 2½‑year‑old boy, Mantavya Patel, born on 7 November 2023 in Sanand, Gujarat, was diagnosed with pure oesophageal atresia, a rare condition where the feeding tube does not form. After initial emergency procedures (oesophagostomy and gastrostomy) to sustain him, doctors performed a definitive repair on 3 July using an advanced gastric pull‑up technique that creates a new feeding conduit from the stomach.

The surgery was led by Dr. Rakesh Joshi, medical super‑intendant and head of the paediatric surgery department at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, with assistance from Dr. Jayashri Ramji and anaesthetists Dr. Aditi and Sonal Bhalavat. Twenty‑three days post‑operation, Mantavya ate orally for the first time. The team reported an 85‑90 % success rate for this procedure and noted that they had completed seven similar complex cases in the past year, offering the operation free of charge at the public hospital.