Cyril D’Cunha
Ask this 46-year old man from Pakistan and he will swear that number 13 has been lucky for him, though it may have been unlucky for some. It was on this day last December, that he was referred to the Wockhardt Hospital in Bangalore with a potentially fatal heart condition which required a second surgery to correct an aortic aneurysm, as the first one done in 2000 in Karachi had failed. Thanks to Dr. N.S. Devananda and Dr. Murali Manohar, who had to perform an 8-hour surgery on him to replace his aortic valve and ascending aorta, this man has found a new lease of life.
Dr. Devananda explained that such redo surgeries are rare and, perhaps, done in only about 15 countries in the world. The problem cannot be taken lightly as the main blood vessel of the body (aorta) dilates to twice its normal size and could rupture leading to a fatality, he said.
The patient’s symptoms had worsened over the past 3-4 months and surgery was the only solution. He was told to either go to the UK, where such a surgery would cost around 50,000 pounds, or to India. Referred to Wockhardt Hospitals, he was admitted with a very low blood sodium level, an enlarged liver and barely able to eat on his own.
A CT scan and ECHO showed a large, leaking ascending aortic aneurysm into the chamber of the heart and under the breast bone, making the surgery highly risky. He said that such an aneurysm can affect any part of the aorta from the heart to the abdomen.
Unfortunately, such cases worsen as they are often under-diagnosed, he said, and were caused by high blood pressure, inherent weakness of the aorta, trauma, infection, etc.
Smokers are at a greater risk as it could damage the wall of the arteries, he stated.
Dr. Devananda advocated that an awareness campaign of this disease could help reduce the risks involved and allow the patient to lead a normal life after a properly done surgery.
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