Viagra Saves The Life of a Baby With a Rare Heart Defect

June 7, 2009 by tiffanyb
Filed under: News

A doctor in India used Viagra to save the life of a 4-month-old baby suffering from a rare congenital heart defect when her blood pressure spiked during the operation.

The baby, who’s name is Tanisha Saha, was born with her heart on the wrong side of her body and it also had a hole in it. Doctors decided to operate on the 4-month-old to repair the hole and also repair an underdeveloped lung that she had.

During the 4 hour operation, Tanisha’s blood pressure rose to dangerous levels and her blood started to flow towards the wrong direction in her heart. Cardiac surgeon K.R. Balakrishnan of Malar Hospital, who was the lead doctor on the surgery decided to give the baby the impotence drug Viagra to lower her blood pressure.

Viagra was initially developed to treat high blood pressure, but scientists discovered that the drug worked to treat sexual problems in men, so it has been used for that reason more than for high blood pressure.

The operation was performed with no other problems, as the Viagra worked to lower her blood pressure. The operation has given the baby a new lease on life and has helped helped get rid of her heart defect.