Boy With Heart Outside His Chest

A four-year-old Chinese boy born with a protruding heart has undergone five hours of surgery as doctors try to correct the defect.

Zhang Weiyuan has Pentalogy of Cantrell, which means the heart does not have a sternum or muscles to protect it and is covered only by skin.

It is so rare it occurs in around five in a million births.

After the operation, doctors at Shenjing Hospital at the Chinese Medical University said that Weiyuan would have to be in intensive care for three days before they could find out if the operation was a success.

"We organized a team of doctors from different departments to do the surgery. It was a challenge for everyone," said chief consultant Dr Li Dongyu.

The little boy, from Hetai Village in China's Liaoning Province, was not taken to hospital earlier because his parents could not afford it.

Instead, they wrapped him up in clothes with extra padding to protect his heart and stopped him playing with other children in case of accidents.

His father, Zhang Xianzhen, says he feels guilty for not taking his son to see a doctor sooner.

"My wife and I are both garbage collectors, and we don't make much money," he explained.

He never cries even though he suffers all the time, which makes us feel even more guilty.

Zhang Xianzhen, father

"So we didn't take our son to the doctor because we couldn't afford the fees."

Sky News health correspondent Thomas Moore says: "This is a very rare condition. Only 90 cases have been reported worldwide.

"Sadly, most children born with it die. There is a good reason for the heart to be protected by the ribcage, and this little boy is extremely vulnerable to any blow to his chest.

"But the condition can also result in defects within the heart that affect its function."

Only two other cases have ever been reported in China.