Sudanese twin boy gets life-saving heart surgery in UAE

Abu Dhabi - The six-year-old's condition which saw the narrowing of the aorta outlet in the heart, was causing his stunted growth

Moneb Mutwakel Hassan is a six-year-old Sudanese boy with a twin.
While his twin brother was growing really well, Moneb had a retarded growth and lower body weight in comparison.
His parents were getting worried by this, so they consulted Dr Walid Shaker, consultant, cardiothoracic surgeon and head of cardiac ?surgery at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi.
Moneb's echocardiography revealed a surprising condition. He had a congenital disease producing severe narrowing of the outlet of the aorta, the vessel supplying the full body with oxygen and blood. This narrowing was the main cause of Moneb's stunted growth.
In addition, the condition was producing progressive thickening and dilatation of the boy's heart with the risk of subsequent heart failure.
Moneb was immediately prepared for surgery.
"Moneb's case was extraordinary and timely intervention was critical in his case. While his twin brother Moamin Ahmed had regular growth, Moneb was underdeveloped. On his echocardiography, we discovered about the contraction of the aorta which was the primary cause of his delayed growth," said the doctor.
This narrowing was also producing progressive thickening and dilation of the boy's heart, the outcome of which could have been worse, leading to heart failure. However, the surgery was successful with Moneb showing remarkable recovery.
"Within just five days, Moneb recovered fully and went back home to play with his friends like any normal boy. Moneb's weight before the surgery was around 20kg and only 10 days after surgery, he weighed around 22kg. We are now expecting Moneb's growth to reach the same level as his twin within a few months," he said.
Mutawkil Hassan Mohamed Ahmed, Moneb's father, said: "We couldn't have asked for a better Eid for our son than his steady and healthy growth. Having twin children, we were very surprised with Moneb's slow growth and Moamin's steady one."
"Upon consulting, we were informed about the narrowing of the vessel aorta and also discovered that this congenital disease could also lead to heart failure. The surgery was very successful and by God's grace, Moneb has shown a speedy recovery. We hope that Moneb will have a steady growth now like his brother Moamin," he added.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com