Chennai: By successfully performing four back to back emergency aortic surgeries in 24 hours for dissecting aortic aneursyms, a more dangerous condition than heart attack, SIMS hospital in the city has set a new record.
August 3 began as a usual day by the aortic team at work until the hospital faced a rapid influx of patients with life threatening conditions which required emergency operation. The day started with a team of doctors first operating on Saikath Saha (50), a school teacher from Kolkata at 9.30 am. He had dissecting aortic aneurysm which required replacement of aortic valve, ascending aorta and aortic arch.
Around 3 pm, when doctors completed the surgery and just as they were about to take a break, they received a call informing about one Venkatesan (56), who was presented with an aortic dissection leading to a tear of entire aorta causing spinal cord paralysis and inability to move his legs.
The team performed open surgery followed by emergency endovascular treatment, The doctors followed it up by emergency spinal cord decompression.
As the patient was shifted from the operating theatre, the aortic team had a call
about another emergency patient by name Chandra Kala (51), a housewife, with life threatening dissecting aortic aneurysm which was about to rupture. To
treat her and continue treating Venkatesan, the team split into two where Gopalamurugan and his team performed endovascular treatment for Venkatesan in the cath lab between 7:45 pm and 11:45 pm while V. V. Bashi with his team performed open surgery on Chandra Kala in the operating theatre replacing her ascending aorta between 7:45 pm and 3 am. Venkatesan then underwent spinal cord decompression. Just as the team felt the day was over to take a long break, they had to attend on one Anandakumar (45), a city businessman, who had a large aortic aneurysm.
