Pioneering surgery brings Zaleyah home quicker

Four-month-old Zaleyah Codega has made history as the first newborn baby in Townsville to undergo keyhole surgery for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), setting a new standard for care in north Queensland.

CDH is a rare and serious condition where a hole in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs to move into the chest, restricting lung development.

Zaleyah’s parents Kris and Natalie Codega first learnt of their daughter’s condition during a 30-week scan.

“It was a terrifying moment, and we automatically turned to doctor google and the internet to make sense of the diagnosis,” Mr Codega said.

“CDH affects about one in 3,000 babies, and suddenly, we were part of that statistic.”

When meeting with the surgical team and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staff at Townsville University Hospital (TUH), they were advised that Zaleyah was a strong candidate for keyhole surgery, a minimally invasive approach to treating CDH.

“We were told that if we chose to go ahead with the procedure, Zaleyah would be the first newborn baby in north Queensland to ever receive it,” Mrs Codega said.

“We were nervous, and it was difficult to comprehend that she would be the first, but the team’s confidence confirmed our decision to say yes.”

Zaleyah was born on the 14th of February 2025, and her surgery took place just three days later.

“Watching Zaleyah being wheeled away for surgery was the hardest moment of our lives,” Mr Codega said.

“We felt completely helpless.

“But hours later, we received the news that the surgery was a success.”

TUH paediatric surgeon Dr Janani Krishnan was Zaleyah’s operating surgeon, assisted by paediatric surgeon Dr Brendan O’Connor and director of paediatric surgery Dr Harry Stalewski.

“This was the first case done thoracoscopically in a newborn and we made sure to involve the family in every step of the process and educate them early on about what to expect,” Dr Krishnan said.

“Zaleyah was breathing on her own within days and due to the keyhole technique, her recovery which could have meant months in the NICU, was just two and a half weeks.”

Dr Krishnan was recently the recipient of the prestigious ‘vision’ award at the 2025 Townsville Hospital and Health Service staff excellence awards and said the procedure was an exciting step in the advancement of health care in the region.

“We provide high quality care which is on par with any other children's hospital in the country, and we are leading the way in minimally invasive and robotic surgery,” Dr Krishnan said.

“We hope that we can continue to innovate and grow to ensure patients and families are able to get excellent quality surgical care in Townsville and north Queensland.

“We want to keep our children closer to their homes.”

Mrs Codega said her family owed everything to the surgeons and TUH staff.

“There wasn’t one part of the entire process that we weren’t comfortable with,” Mrs Codega said.

“We received such beautiful care.”

Mr Codega said Zaleyah having access to the procedure at TUH made all the difference.

“We are from the Burdekin, so being able to stay in Townsville meant we didn’t have to uproot our lives or be very far from our other daughter Ariah,” Mr Codega said.

“We never had to leave Zaleyah’s side throughout her recovery period, and it felt like being at home.

“Although no one wants to be in our position, we are thankful and proud that Zaleyah could be part of something so innovative.

“We hope that Zaleyah’s story will lead to more north Queensland families like us receiving lifesaving care for their children locally.”