Queensland Health’s amazing Covid-safe mission to save Mia

Mia is the miracle to emerge from Brisbane’s pandemic lockdown thanks to a talented surgeon being given a quarantine exemption to perform an intricate life-saving operation on the tiny baby.

A little bit of unexpected magic has emerged from the precarious Indooroopilly Delta cluster thanks to a quarantine exemption for a surgeon with a remarkable pair of healing hands.

At just a few days old Mia Wegener needed heart surgery — without it she would die. But every one of the state’s paediatric cardiac surgeons were among 400 healthcare workers forced into home quarantine due to links with exposure sites.

Among them was Prem Venugopal, one of only two specialists in Queensland who could perform the intricate open heart surgery on Mia.

Dr Venugopal had attended the Open Day at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School which became a close contact zone.

Queensland Health “moved heaven and earth” to save Mia, formulating a Covid-safe hospital plan with military precision to allow the specialist to come out of quarantine to help save the life of the newborn who was surviving on only half a working heart.

Mia was born at the Mater Mother’s Hospital and the surgery was performed at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

Three-week-old Mia Wegener underwent cardiac surgery with Dr Prem Venugopal at Queensland Children's Hospital. Pics Tara Croser.

“There were interesting and intense protocols for the day of surgery. I was kitted out in PPE and had daily Covid tests and had to be fully vaccinated. The area was protected and safety measures carried out to the extreme. My focus was on baby Mia. It was going to be a difficult operation and it absolutely could not have been postponed. Thankfully, she has come through it amazingly well,” Dr Venugopal, Director of Cardiac Surgery at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, told The Courier-Mail.

Due to his unique set of skills Dr Venugopal has to be extra careful to keep himself safe and be available for the child patients.

“My whole family was in home quarantine but I couldn’t be near them. For the 14 days I was in a separate part of the house. It was strange. I couldn’t open the door and my family were on the other side of it. But these kind of sacrifices are part of what we do. Seeing the smiles on Mia’s parents faces and knowing she pulled through the surgery makes it all worth while,” the cardiac surgeon said.

The doctor’s exemption was the first time in the pandemic that a heart surgeon had to leave quarantine for surgery at the children’s hospital.

Heart surgeon Prem Venugopal in theatre at Queensland Children’s Hospital. Pic Jamie Hanson

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said she granted the exemption as “no Queenslander will be denied any care because the health workers they need are in quarantine”.

Mia was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, where the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped and is unable to effectively pump blood around the body. The doctor performed the Norwood procedure which aims to allow the heart’s right ventricle to take over the work of the problem left chamber.

Carolina Wegener with three-week-old Mia at Queensland Children's Hospital. Pics Tara Croser.

This is the first of three surgeries to treat the syndrome.

Dr Venugopal is reportedly one of only 60 surgeons worldwide who can perform the risky procedure which has been available in Australia since 1995.

“Prem has told us that because Mia has come through the first op so well things are looking good for the other surgeries. She has had a text book recovery. We owe Mia’s life to him and we are forever grateful,” Mia’s mum Carolina said.

“When the condition was diagnosed while Mia was in utero we were given three options, terminate the pregnancy, bring Mia home to die or have the surgery where there was no guarantee she would survive. We put our faith in Prem. She is a little fighter but is a calm and quiet little girl. She has a little zipper scar on her chest but seems well.”

Mia’s mum said that the day of the operation was a bit of a blur but it seemed like watching a movie with her little girl at the centre of the plot.

“Mia’s dad Ryan and myself had to wear full PPE to see Mia in recovery. It was strange but I wasn’t worried about Covid as the hospital had everything so well under control. I only cared if the surgery was successful,” she said.

“Yes, our Mia is a miracle in the middle of the pandemic. She won’t believe the story we have to tell when she is older,” mum said.

Originally published as Queensland Health’s amazing Covid-safe mission to save Mia