Children’s Surgical Care – Dinithi

We met Dinithi Uththara and her parents at the clinic in the Mawella camp. Dinithi is a 14-months-old girl who was born with a complete atrioventricular septal defect, a congenital defect. She has a healthy twin sister. Dinithi’s parents approached us for help.

Dinithi has been evaluated for cardiac surgery, getting an echocardiogram and cardiac catheter. The funds have been provided by Care Sri Lanka as well (www.caresrilanka.com).

FYI: Atrioventricular septal defect is a rare heart defect that is present at birth (congenital). The normal heart has four chambers. Two chambers are called atria, which are separated from each other by a partition called the atrial septum. The other two chambers, known as ventricles, are also separated by a septum. Valves connect the atria (left and right) to their respective ventricles. Infants with atrioventricular septal defect have improperly developed septa and valves (atrial and ventricular septa and atrioventricular valves). Dinithi suffers from the complete or severe form (large atrial and ventricular defects).