Alejandra, a four-year-old girl, has blown out the candles on her birthday cake for the first time after overcoming three serious congenital malformations that compromised her breathing. The Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid has treated a case that its team considers exceptional in the world.
Alejandra, a four-year-old girl, celebrated her birthday by blowing out the candles for the first time after undergoing a complex medical process at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in the Community of Madrid. The little girl was born with three severe congenital malformations that endangered her breathing and required ongoing treatment from just a few weeks after birth, according to the hospital's report via cadenaser.com.
The initial diagnosis, made when she was a newborn, revealed that Alejandra had only one functional lung, the left one. This condition was compounded by congenital tracheal stenosis that reduced the diameter of her trachea to between two and three millimetres, and severe bronchomalacia, a condition that causes narrowing or collapse of the bronchus during breathing.
The girl was born with only one functional lung, the left one, as well as congenital tracheal stenosis that reduced the diameter of her trachea to just two or three millimetres and severe bronchomalacia,” explains Juan Antón-Pacheco, head of the Paediatric Surgery Department at the centre.
The coincidence of these three pathologies in a single paediatric patient is extremely rare. The physician describes the case as exceptional, both for its rarity and for the diagnostic and therapeutic complexity, “not only here in Spain but probably in the world.”
The treatment was carried out by the Multidisciplinary Airway Unit at 12 de Octubre, involving several surgical interventions, endoscopic procedures, ventilatory support, and ongoing clinical follow-up. Due to the severity of her condition, Alejandra remained hospitalised for approximately the first year and a half of her life.
The first phase involved the surgical correction of the congenital tracheal stenosis. Afterwards, specialists addressed the bronchomalacia by successively placing five biodegradable stents in her only functional bronchus. These stents were progressively reabsorbed every three months, allowing the bronchus to gain consistency until it could remain open on its own.
The process was completed with ventilatory support through a tracheostomy, specialised nursing care, and periodic check-ups,” highlights Antón-Pacheco.
Approximately a year later, doctors were able to remove the tracheostomy and later close the fistula. The favourable evolution now allows Alejandra to breathe normally and engage in age-appropriate activities.
Her mother, Francisca, notes that after everything they have been through, they could not have imagined that “we could enjoy our daughter as we are now” and that Alejandra would be able to “lead a life as similar to her age as possible.”
The Multidisciplinary Airway Unit at Hospital 12 de Octubre has over 20 years of experience in complex paediatric respiratory pathologies. It coordinates specialists in Paediatric Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, Paediatric Pulmonology, Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Radiology, Endoscopy, and specialised nursing, among other disciplines.
Alejandra's case has been resolved with ongoing clinical follow-up at the Madrid centre, which treats paediatric patients with highly complex airway diseases.
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