Doctors at St. Petersburg University of Pediatrics carried out a six-hour operation to remove a giant heart tumor from a five-month-old infant. The case showcased the dedication and skill of the pediatric surgical team as they addressed a life‑threatening cardiac condition and supported the newborn through a demanding recovery.
A baby from the Ulyanovsk region was admitted to the university clinic after birth. Prenatal ultrasound performed at the 36th week of pregnancy had revealed a space‑occupying lesion in the fetus’s heart, signaling a significant cardiac abnormality that required urgent attention after birth.
Soon after birth, the infant was diagnosed with a cardiac pathology—a tumor that blocked the heart’s outflow tract. The medical team determined that surgical removal was necessary, noting the tumor measured about three times the size of the infant’s heart.
Because of its size, the tumor pressed on the left main bronchus and limited the left lung’s participation in breathing. Consequently, the infant’s condition grew serious and unstable due to circulatory failure, imbalanced lung blood flow, and pulmonary edema.
Biopsy could be obtained only during open‑heart surgery because the tumor had infiltrated tissue. Postoperative analysis indicated the tumor was benign. The child remained in intensive care for an extended period as treatment and monitoring continued in the hospital.
Earlier, doctors in the same division treated a four-year-old girl with an optic nerve tumor, illustrating the unit’s breadth of pediatric oncology and neurosurgical expertise.