Successfully Operated Rare Heart Anomaly in a Premature Baby Weighing 2 Kilograms

December 12, 2025

At the Zan Mitrev Clinic, a successful correction of a complex congenital cardiac anomaly was performed in a premature female newborn at 36 weeks of gestation. The baby, the first of a twin pregnancy, was born in Prishtina with a birth weight of 2 kilograms.

The newborn was diagnosed with congenital complex cardiopathy, including Totally Abnormal Pulmonary Venous Drainage (TAPVR) and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)

This combination of heart defects is extremely rare, with the TAPVR prevalence ranging from 0.6 to 1.2 per 10,000 live births, and among all congenital heart defects, only 0.7 to 1.5% belong to this type.

Aware of the urgency of the situation, the parents brought little Oze Abazi to the Zan Mitrev Clinic, at the age of two weeks. After conducting additional diagnostic procedures and consulting with the cardiac surgery team, a decision was made to promptly correct the complex cardiac anomaly.

The surgical intervention, performed by the team led by Dr. Zhan Mitrev, consisted of a complete derivation of the pulmonary veins in the left atrium, thus achieving physiologically normal blood flow.

Following the successful operation, the baby’s care was taken over by the neonatal team from the Mother and Baby Center, with a focus on careful hemodynamic management and stabilization of cardiovascular function. The postoperative period was a major challenge due to the age of the newborn. Thanks to a coordinated team approach and continuous intensive care, the baby made a successful recovery.

The outcome without surgical treatment is unfavorable and has a high mortality rate, over 80% by the end of the first year of life. With modern surgical and postoperative management, the outcome changes from a condition that is often fatal, to survival of approximately 85%.

After the successful intervention, little Oze is ready to go home, with a completely stable condition and realistic prospects for normal growth and development.