Mysore/Mysuru: Heart and vascular team at Manipal Hospital, Mysuru, has successfully carried out 12 complex aortic procedures over the past 36 months.

The surgical and interventional skills of the team with a combined experience of more than 25 years, have made the procedure safe for patients with excellent results.

Addressing a press meet in city recently, Dr. C.B. Keshavamurthy, Consultant Interventional Cardiology and Dr. Upendra Shenoy, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Mysuru, described the various procedures done in detail on how such complex aortic surgeries can now be treated at Mysuru, with experienced team and state-of-the-art facility. A combined surgical and interventional approach gives the best result for these patients.

Aorta is the largest artery in the human body and takes the burden of the entire output of blood from the heart with every heartbeat, throughout our entire lifetime. Aortic diseases and injuries can often be life threatening with deaths in up to 40 – 50% of patients. The disease becomes critical and life threatening and very challenging to treat when it involves the branches to the vital organs.

Aortic surgery has the highest mortality rate worldwide, due to its complex nature and great skill and coordinated team effort is required in treating them in a timely manner to save lives.

The procedures were carried out in different age groups of patients ranging from 38 to 77 years. These are two illustrative patient histories:

1. A 38-year-old home-maker had sudden onset of tearing chest pain and collapsed at home. She was immediately taken to a hospital, where primary treatment was given, tests showed rupture of aorta, leaking aortic valve with collection of blood around the heart. If untreated death was imminent.

Patient was then shifted to Manipal Hospital in a very critical condition with very low blood pressure and repeated cardiac arrests. The Cardiovascular team headed by Dr. Upendra Shenoy successfully operated on this critical patient and replaced the entire ruptured aortic tube and valve. Miraculously, this patient survived this very complex surgery and is now well and back to her family role.

2. A 77-year-old farmer by profession, presented with severe chest pain and weakness of left arm and leg. On examination he was diagnosed to have a tear in the aorta with compromised blood supply to brain. This patient underwent a first-of-its-kind hybrid procedure in Mysuru with both – operation to bypass the brain vessel and covered stent to protect the torn portion of the aorta. Procedure was successful and patient is well without any weakness of limbs or chest pain.

Pramod Kunder, Hospital Director, Dr. B. Bhavana, Regional Head, Marketing & Branding, Manipal Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. and  Sant Kumar, Marketing Unit Head, were also present.