Noida: The name ‘anaconda’ is a word of extreme fear, so is the aneurysm, particularly abdominal aortic one (AAA). Interestingly anaconda, which is just name of a graft, saves here rather than kill. Left to itself AAA bursts over time and brings about a tsunami of internal bleeding resulting into death of the patient. On the eve of World Heart Day, Metro hospital showcased repair of dangerous enlargement and weakening of aorta, the main artery from heart in a press conference.
The highly skilled team of doctors in the hospital rescued a 55year old patient with abdominal aortic aneurysm, the deadly medical condition in which the main artery aorta enlarges in the stomach and becomes prone to rupture, using this cutting edge graft. In Uttar Pradesh, it is the first case of this type of graft being used. For the curious, this graft was named after the boa constrictor anaconda because of the similarity between the shape of the proximal ring stent and snake’s mouth
A ruptured AAA causes massive internal bleeding. Around 8 out 10 people with rupture either die before they reach hospital or do not survive surgery. Incidentally, the first case of AAA in India was repaired by none other than Dr Purushottam Lal way back in 1998. Dr Lal, the father of angioplasty in India, is chairman of the Metro Group of hospitals.
In an extraordinary medical feat, doctors at Metro Heart Institute, Noida, has made history by performing a revolutionary endovascular surgery to treat Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm by making use of Anaconda graft by Terumo. This has never been attempted before in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The surgical team, comprising interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and cardiac anesthesiologists, demonstrated exceptional expertise as they successfully treated a 58-year-old male patient suffering from a critical heart condition (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm), utilizing a cutting-edge technique.
The patient, who had previously undergone an open-heart surgery or bypass surgery under the care of Dr. Jeewan Pillai, Chief Cardiac Surgeon ,Metro hospital Noida ,a few months ago, had made a full recovery and was leading a healthy life. However, the emergence of non-specific symptoms and abdominal discomfort prompted him to seek immediate medical attention at Metro Heart Institute. Undergoing a CT-Angiogram, the patient’s condition was diagnosed as a unusually large, of about 7 and half cm, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, a life-threatening condition in which the abdominal aorta dilates significantly. If left untreated, this condition can lead to a potentially fatal rupture.
The medical team, led by the accomplished Dr. Sameer Gupta, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Group Director Cath lab & Director- Metro Group of Hospitals decided to employ a procedure known as Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) using a minimally invasive approach through a small incision at the groin area. Dr. Gupta, alongside Dr. Jeewan Pillai, guided a team of five skilled doctors throughout the procedure. Notably, the procedure employed the Anaconda Graft by Terumo, a Japanese medical company, which had never before been utilized in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This specially designed graft marked a significant advancement in medical technology, ensuring that the patient’s recovery was both swift and minimally invasive.
Dr Sameer Gupta Said, “The procedure proved to be an unqualified success, effectively addressing the patient’s condition and significantly reducing the risk of a rupture of the main blood vessel. The utilization of the Anaconda Graft and the innovative endovascular approach not only showcased the team’s exceptional skill but also highlighted their unwavering commitment to delivering the highest level of medical care.”
Traditionally, treatment options for Abdominal Aorta Aneurysms would have necessitated an open surgery, characterized by extensive incisions over the abdomen and durations often extending to 8-10 hours. Such procedures were conducted under deep hypothermic cardiac arrest, leading to extended recovery periods fraught with complications such as massive blood loss and spinal cord ischemia..
