The life of a 70-year-old was saved by successfully removing the infected aorta along with the blood clots, which were replaced with a prosthetic graft at Manipal Hospital, Gurugram. He was suffering from a fatal abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The patient came with a complaint of persistent back pain, fever, severe hypotension, and cold sweats. He had a history of fever for the past month, which was managed with antibiotics. After investigation, it was found that he had a hole in the back wall of his aorta, causing blood leakage in the abdomen. Looking at his condition, Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan, Head of CTVS (Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery), and his team, comprising Sr. Cardiac Anesthesiologist Dr. Jitumoni Baishya, immediately counseled the patient’s family and performed an emergency surgery where the infected aorta was removed along with the blood clots and was replaced with a prosthetic graft.
Commenting on the challenges of this case, Dr. Chauhan said, “Sudden rupture of the infected major blood vessel like the aorta is a life-threatening emergency as most of the patients don’t even reach the hospital on time and succumb to death due to internal bleeding.
Surgery itself carries a very high risk of requiring safe anesthesia techniques for smooth induction, especially in patients with active bleeding. The chances of survival for an elderly patient with multi-organ issues are limited. During the surgery, the infected segment of the blood vessel is identified and removed to be replaced by a graft.
These patients require multiple blood transfusions, and the chances of post-operative multi-organ failure are very high. Swift and well-planned surgical approach with safe anesthesia technique and a well-coordinate post-operative multi-disciplinary strategy at the hospital led to a positive outcome in this patient.”