The project was adjudged as the best research work by eminent ENT specialists including Dr Santosh Kacker, Former Director, AIIMS and Dr BK Roy Choudhary, President AOI. The unique research was covered in a span of 12 years.

According to a statement issued by DMCH, earlier surgery in newborns, infants, children and even adults was undertaken by feeling the obstruction with the fingers and pushing an air pipe in the nostril, which was retained for some time. This method, now considered a ‘blind procedure’, was associated with unnecessary and excessive bleeding, post-operative swelling in the mouth, breathing problems due to damage to normal tissues with increased operative period, unforeseen complications and long postoperative recovery period. This also led to a long hospitalization stay and additional expenses.

The statement pointed out that the endoscopic technique was introduced in the newborns as early as 1995 by Dr Manish Munjal, in a six-hour old baby, Manisha. Since then, Dr Munjal has handled more than 40 such cases in the last 12 years. The study involved mostly newborn patients, who had a hidden obstruction in the form of bony partitions located at the back of the nose on either side. As a result, the child became “blue “at birth, which is a life-threatening condition.

Dr Munjal highlights that the bony partition was operated upon under magnified endoscopic visualization followed by introduction of nasopharyngeal stents. The nasopharyngeal stents were retained to prevent reclosure of the operative site .The stents were kept for a minimum duration of three months .

Most of the patients were babies and had been referred within few hours of delivery by paediatricians from different regions of the state. Baby turning blue at birth, respiratory difficulty and inability to pass a tube through the nose after birth was the primary criteria for referral. Specialised radiographs, CT Scans and endoscopic assessments confirmed the diagnosis. Male and female babies were almost equal in number. Some babies were even found to be having abnormal connections between the food and windpipe, cardiac abnormalities, deformities of the eyes, ears and the jaws.