A Little Child from Alipurduar makes an Amazing Recovery from Severe Lung Surgery at Manipal Hospital Mukundapur

News Desk, News Nation 360 : Arya Saha (name changed), a five-year-old Alipurduar resident, has made a remarkable recovery at Manipal Hospital, Mukundapur, a unit of India's leading healthcare network, Manipal Hospitals Group, after being treated for a massive right-sided pleural empyema (a serious infection characterised by the accumulation of pus between the lungs and the chest wall). Dr Subhasis Saha, Consultant - Paediatric Surgery, Manipal Hospital Mukundapur, and Dr Sayantan Bhowmick, Associate Consultant, Paediatric Pulmonology, Manipal Hospital Mukundapur, oversaw the case with expertise. While discussing the case, Dr Subhasis Saha, Consultant – Paediatric Surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Mukundapur, stated that empyema in children can progress quickly and, if not treated promptly, can be fatal." In Arya's case, early surgical intervention with minimally invasive Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) was critical to removing the infection and allowing his lung to expand again. Paediatric surgery involves more than simply precision; it is also about recognising the dread and anguish that families experience when their child is sick. Their team collaborated closely with the parents at all stages to ensure they felt supported and informed. Seeing the boy recover, smile, and return to his normal, lively self after such a serious illness is the most rewarding conclusion they could hope for. Arya’s case involved severe respiratory distress due to infected fluid compressing his right lung, which was managed by rapid stabilisation and early minimally invasive Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) at Manipal Hospital, Mukundapur. VATS is performed through small incisions using a camera and specialised instruments, allowing direct visualisation and complete draining of infected fluid (empyema) or pus from the pleural space. The goal is lung expansion and recovery while avoiding the complications and prolonged recovery associated with traditional open surgery. In complicated cases like Arya’s, post-operative mechanical ventilation may be required, especially when the lung initially fails to re-expand or develops pneumothorax (air leak). Careful infection control, ventilatory strategies, and physiotherapy under the paediatric intensive care team are critical to a successful outcome, as demonstrated by Arya’s gradual lung expansion and eventual discharge in excellent health. VATS is now widely recognised as a safe and effective pediatric procedure for empyema and related lung infections, delivering shorter hospital stays, quicker fever resolution, and improved post-operative lung function compared to traditional approaches.