Teenager with complex congenital heart disease had been receiving treatment at AIIMS since age two; family alleges prolonged delay in corrective surgery, while hospital records cite complex cardiac anatomy
A 15-year-old girl from Kota, who had been receiving treatment at AIIMS Delhi since the age of two for a complex congenital heart defect, died at the hospital early Tuesday, around 14 days after reports highlighted her family’s concerns over the long wait for corrective heart surgery.
The girl was admitted to AIIMS Delhi on August 24 for evaluation for a possible heart-lung transplant. According to Dr V Devagourou, Professor and Head of the Department of CTVS at AIIMS, she was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect (VSD) with pulmonary atresia in 2012 and was evaluated for surgery in 2013.
He said corrective surgery was ruled out in 2018 and the girl was subsequently managed medically.
Girl Admitted for Possible Heart-Lung Transplant
Dr Devagourou said the teenager was admitted on August 24 as part of an evaluation for a possible heart-lung transplant.
She underwent an endoscopy on Monday as part of the transplant work-up. At around 2:50 am on Tuesday, she reportedly complained of fatigue and weakness and subsequently became cyanotic, with her oxygen saturation falling to 48%.
She was started on oxygen at around 3:30 am but later suffered a hypoxic spell followed by cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, she could not be revived and was declared dead at 5:06 am.
AIIMS Records Document Complex Congenital Heart Defect
The girl was first brought to AIIMS in 2012. An AIIMS document dated January 31, 2014, recorded her diagnosis as “VSD + pulmonary atresia” and recommended unifocalisation and conduit placement.
The estimated cost of the proposed surgery at that time was Rs 1.2 lakh.
According to her family, surgery dates were fixed in 2015 but did not ultimately materialise. Her father alleged that the family had been visiting AIIMS for more than a decade and that scheduled surgery dates were repeatedly changed, but the corrective procedure was never performed.
Corrective Surgery Later Considered Not Feasible
A 2018 assessment reportedly found that major blood vessels supplying the girl’s lungs were absent and described her cardiac anatomy as complex.
An AIIMS doctor subsequently stated that she was no longer considered a candidate for corrective surgery because her pulmonary arteries were essentially absent. According to the doctor, attempting corrective surgery could have been fatal if her anatomy was unsuitable.
Days before her death, on August 28, an AIIMS doctor told TOI that the girl was admitted for work-up for a possible heart and lung transplant.
The doctor explained that an earlier estimated cost of around Rs 1.5 lakh was probably related to surgery at a time when the child was considered operable. However, with the pulmonary artery now absent, corrective surgery was no longer considered possible and a heart-lung transplant was being evaluated.
Father Alleges Delay and Seeks Investigation
The girl’s father said he had not received a satisfactory explanation for his daughter’s death. He alleged that hospital staff repeatedly asked him for documents and, at different points, pressured the family to take discharge.
He also alleged that there could have been a conspiracy and demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death.
The father said he had not yet taken his daughter’s body from the hospital because he wanted answers about what happened before her death.
The allegations made by the family have not been independently established.
Important Highlights
- A 15-year-old girl from Kota died at AIIMS Delhi during evaluation for a possible heart-lung transplant
- She had been receiving treatment at AIIMS since the age of two
- She was diagnosed with VSD and pulmonary atresia in 2012
- Surgery was evaluated in 2013, while corrective surgery was ruled out in 2018
- AIIMS records had earlier recommended unifocalisation and conduit placement
- The teenager developed cyanosis and severe oxygen desaturation before suffering cardiac arrest
- She was declared dead at 5:06 am on Tuesday despite resuscitation efforts
- Her father has alleged delays in corrective surgery and demanded an investigation
- The family’s allegations have not been independently established