Doctors at Tripura Medical College (TMC) have successfully performed a rare and extremely high-risk surgery on a 10-day-old premature baby suffering from a life-threatening condition, hospital authorities confirmed on Friday.
The baby girl was born prematurely on December 25, 2025, to Jebin Begam and Jainul Haque of the Irani police station area in Kailashahar, Unakoti district. According to doctors, the mother went into premature labour after her amniotic sac ruptured, and the baby was delivered while she was being shifted to a hospital.
Soon after birth, the newborn developed severe respiratory distress and was taken to a private hospital. Doctors there advised referral to GB Pant Hospital in Agartala. However, the family took the baby to another private facility, where doctors detected gangrene in her right leg—a rare and dangerous condition in newborns.
The infant was later taken to Silchar Medical College and Hospital and subsequently referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital due to her extremely low birth weight. Unable to continue treatment there, the family returned home and consulted a local paediatrician, who referred them to senior surgeon Dr Aniruddha Basak.
On December 31, 2025, the baby was admitted to Tripura Medical College at just six days old, weighing around one kilogram. Dr Basak diagnosed her with neonatal gangrene, a rare but severe condition that can rapidly spread infection throughout the body.
“If immediate surgery was not performed, the infection could have become fatal,” Dr Basak said.
After detailed medical evaluation, doctors performed the surgery on January 6, 2026. Operating on a 10-day-old underweight infant posed enormous risks and challenges. To prevent the spread of infection, surgeons had to amputate a portion of the baby’s right leg—a procedure known as Lisfranc amputation.
Hospital authorities said the surgery was successful, marking a major medical achievement. The baby is currently under close medical observation at TMC, and doctors remain cautiously optimistic about her recovery.
