KARACHI, Jan 29: Three-and-a-half-year-old Alina Farooq, who underwent reconstructive surgery at the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD) last week , greeted doctors and journalists with a faint smile during a briefing on Thursday. She looked a little weak but was otherwise healthy, said her doctors.

Alina was born without a major chest bone. And the reconstructive surgery performed on her was aimed at providing protection to her heart which was, in the absence of the bone, vulnerable to injuries.

Farooq and Zeenat Ahmed, the baby's parents, were visibly happy at the simple ceremony at which their daughter was introduced to the media. On the occasion, Mr Ahmed said he was overjoyed and could not thank the surgeons enough for what they had managed to do.

He explained that he did not have to pay a single penny to the NICVD for the treatment Alina got. Her daughter had no complications, he added. Prof Azhar Masood A. Farooqui, the director of the NICVD, told the media that the surgical procedure had gone according to plan. "In fact it went better than expected. We were on the look out for potential unforeseen problems but none were encountered," he remarked.

"All the steps that we took have been successful. We have had no surprises." The operation was a tough one because NICVD's surgeons and physicians had never handled such a case before.

"This is such a rare case that no surgeon in the world could say anything with certainty about the operation's success, or otherwise." He said his institute would keep monitoring Alina's progress.

"We have asked the parents to consult us at least once a year. And we will also document the case in full at every stage." Prof Iftikhar Hussein Rathore, who led the surgeons' team, observed that both Alina and her doctors were lucky in that her heart was free of complications. "Had her heart not been free of problems, we would have gone for a two-step operation.

"The chances of infection and other complications are considerable if there are two steps or more. Similarly, the longer an operation lasts, the riskier it is."

Prof Rathore was of the view that nothing had been done during the surgery which could cause problems so far as the natural growth of Alina's body was concerned. "This girl is going to grow as normally as other girls of her age."

The professor said complications like the one Alina had were not uncommon in Pakistani adults. "But the problems that we see in our practice off and on are acquired ones. Alina's defect is different as she was born with it."

Dr Najma Patel of the NICVD pointed out that most of the documented cases similar to Alina's were from European countries. "There may be a hundred cases in which there were some defects in the chest area. However, fewer than 10 cases have been reported in which a major bone was missing. None of these cases are from the Asian countries, making Alina's case both rare and unique."

Talking to Dawn after the brief ceremony, Dr Patel said Alina was on antibiotics right now. "And she is going to stay in our hospital for say another week. Then we will see what steps should be taken."