Doctors in Shanghai successfully performed open-heart surgery Tuesday on a baby boy, the youngest and smallest patient ever to undergo the procedure in China.

The 1.5-kilogram infant, Xinyu, was born with a serious congenital heart defect on January 14, two months early. He was suffering from heart failure and respiratory distress, and could not be fed normally.

"Heart surgery was the only way to save his life, although it was quite challenging," said Dr. Jia Bin, deputy director of the Cardiovascular Center at the Fudan University Children's Hospital, where the operation was carried out.

Xinyu's mother had previously lost two babies during pregnancy, so she and her husband agreed to try the risky surgery.

"We know it's the first time heart surgery has been carried out on such a tiny baby, but it's also the only chance for us. And we're confident in Dr. Jia," the baby's father said, asking not to be named.

Xinyu's premature birth and low weight presented the greatest risks. He is very weak and his heart tissue is extremely fragile.

Surgeons worked for three hours Tuesday morning to repair the infant's heart.

By Tuesday evening, he was reported to be in stable condition. More surgery will be performed later this week.

Doctors expect the baby to grow normally if his heart functions well.

The Fudan Cardiovascular Center is one of the leaders in treating infant heart diseases in China. In 2004, operations were performed on 650 infants and children there, with a mortality rate of just 0.77 percent.

Congenital heart disease affects seven newborns in every 1,000 in China, where around 17 million babies are born every year.

However, fewer than 30,000 heart surgeries are performed annually nationwide. Many more babies do not get treatment because their families cannot afford the medical costs.

(China Daily February 23, 2005)