Boy Given 2-Year Terminal Diagnosis for 'Heart Outside the Body'... Gains New Life Thanks to Korean Medical Team

7-Year-Old Indonesian Boy Undergoes Surgery at Severance Hospital
Surgery Successfully Completed
Surgeon Hopes "It Will Give Hope to Patients"

A 7-year-old Indonesian boy suffering from a rare disease where his heart protruded outside his body received surgery in Korea and gained a new life.

Severance Hospital announced on the 17th that Mikael Haresananda (7), an Indonesian national born with ectopia cordis, underwent surgery last June, recovered safely, and is preparing for discharge.

Indonesian boy Mikael, who was given a '2-year' prognosis, finds a path to treatment in Korea

Mikael's appearance before surgery. [Image provided by Severance Hospital]

Ectopia cordis is an unexplained condition where the heart protrudes outside the body. Most newborns with ectopia cordis are either stillborn or do not survive beyond three days after birth, but Mikael survived for seven years under his parents' care. Initially, Indonesian medical staff estimated Mikael’s life expectancy to be two years.

However, Mikael’s family was financially disadvantaged, preventing him from receiving proper treatment, and it was difficult for him to carry out daily activities due to the risk of injury to his heart protruding outside his body.

After hearing Mikael’s story, a local Indonesian pastor and a Korean missionary sought help from various countries. Fortunately, through the non-profit organization Global Sarang Nanum, they connected with the Severance social work team, opening the door for treatment in Korea.

Mikael successfully completes surgery... currently preparing for discharge

Professor Shin Yurim is checking Mikael's condition in the ward.
[Image provided by Severance Hospital]

Subsequent examinations at Severance Hospital, including brain MRI and cardiac catheterization, revealed that Mikael’s condition was more severe than expected. His heart protruded outside his body like a large lump visible from afar, and he had only one ventricle instead of two. The medical team determined that Mikael’s treatment could not be delayed.

Professors Han Seok-joo from the Pediatric Surgery Department and Shin Yu-rim from the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Severance Hospital performed surgery to create space inside the body by constructing a diaphragm with artificial materials and simultaneously performed valvuloplasty to prevent valve regurgitation. Fortunately, the outcome was successful.

Mikael is currently preparing for discharge in a general ward. He is scheduled to be discharged this month and will receive regular check-ups locally.

Professor Han Seok-joo said, "Many patients worldwide suffer from rare diseases like Mikael but often cannot undergo surgery. We hope that the successful surgical case applied to Mikael will be widely known and give hope to patients."

Meanwhile, since 2011, Severance Hospital has been continuously assisting overseas patients suffering from economic difficulties and limited medical resources by inviting them to Korea for treatment through the 'Global Severance, Global Charity (GSGC)' program. To date, a total of 22.6 billion KRW worth of support inside and outside the hospital has been provided to invite and treat 226 patients from 29 countries, including Haiti and Kenya.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.