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Providing Medical Support to Disaster, War and Impoverished Areas

Children's Surgical Care

Cardiac Surgery for Anjali Mendis

January 2008

Anjali Mendis and her mom, Lani Padmakanthi, in January 2008

June 2007
By Dr. Martina Fuchs
Surgery Report

Anjali Mendis in May 2007

On April 7, 2007, Anjali Mendis has undergone a successful Total Correction of Tetralogy of Fallot at Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital in Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. Performing cardiothoracic surgeon was Dr. Aruna Kapuruge. Postoperatively, Anjali went into low output failure of the heart, requiring high inotropic support. She later also had to undergo peritoneal dialysis due to capillary leak syndrome and renal impairment. She had a lengthy stay at the ICU, but completely recovered from her surgery and was discharged on June 6, 2007.

January 2007
By Dr. Martina Fuchs

Anjali Mendes and her mom, Lani Padmakanthi

Anjali Mendis is a 6-month-old girl with Tetralogy of Fallot, who urgently needs heart surgery.

Since Anjali’s parents cannot afford the surgery, we decided to cooperate on the costs with the Sri Lankan President Fund and Familien Nothilfe e.V. Sri Lanka.

Dr. Shirantha Arachchige will oversee the procedure.

FYI: Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Cyanosis is the abnormal bluish discoloration of the skin that occurs because of low levels of circulating oxygen in the blood. Tetralogy of Fallot consists of the combination of four different heart defects: a ventricular septal defect (VSD); obstructed outflow of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs (pulmonary stenosis); a displaced aorta, which causes blood to flow into the aorta from both the right and left ventricles (dextroposition or overriding aorta); and abnormal enlargement of the right ventricle (right ventricular hypertrophy). The severity of the symptoms is related to the degree of blood flow obstruction from the right ventricle. If infants with Tetralogy of Fallot are not treated, the symptoms usually become progressively more severe. Blood flow to the lungs may be further decreased and severe cyanosis may cause life-threatening complications. The exact cause of Tetralogy of Fallot is not known.