Aarti’s death could be rare case of fat embolism, say experts from city
Representational image. (Photo: visualphotos.com)
Hyderabad: While respiratory and breathing problems are cited to be the cause of the death of Tollywood actress Aarti Agarwal in New Jersey, experts in the city say it could be a rare case of fat embolism. Aarti had undergone liposuction surgery recently according to industry insiders.
In liposuction, the skin near the thighs, arms and abdomen is cut and the fat is sucked out. Dr Venu Gopal Pareekh, a senior bariatric surgeon, said, “While doing the procedure, there are chances that the fat cells get sucked into the blood and then start flowing into the blood stream. This is called fat embolism as the fat tissues travel in the blood and block it. This happens within 24 to 48 hours after surgery.”
The patient is immobile for 10 to 12 hours after surgery and this often leads to formation of blood clots in the legs. Dr Rajnesh Reddy, senior bariatric surgeon with Apollo Hospitals, said, “In obese patients, this is a rare case and often the treating surgeon does not come to know till the event has occurred. The problem is that the fat moves too fast in the blood stream and blocks the lungs. After that it blocks the blood to the heart. If the patient is in a super speciality centre, emergency aid can be given. Otherwise it is often fatal.”
Fat embolism also occurs in long bone fractures. Dr K.S. Lakshmi, senior bariatric surgeon, said, “Liposuction surgeries are mostly done in cosmetology clinics in the US. There are no cardiologists to monitor the heart. The heart rate in case of fat embolism is found to increase within 12 hours. When that happens, emergency care has to be given to the patient. But in most of these cases, the patient comes in too late.” There are too many complications once fat embolism sets in and the revival is very difficult.
( Source : dc )
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