A rare condition treated at Star Hospitals

A rare condition treated at Star Hospitals

The Cardiothoracic team at STAR Hospitals recently operated on a 38-year- old Khammam-based male patient who suffered from a rare heart condition known as Type A aortic dissection. Led by renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr Gopichand Mannam along with Dr.K.V.S.S. Sai Kiran and Dr. P.C.Gupta and the team at STAR Hospitals performed a complex surgery known as a Valve Sparing Aortic Root & AORTA Replacement to successfully treat the patient. The interdisciplinary team consisted of 4 specialists who performed this technically demanding procedure over 6 hours.

 

 

Aortic dissection is a serious condition in which there is a tear in the wall of the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the Body. The aorta is the major artery carrying blood out of the heart. As this tear extends along the wall of the aorta, blood flows in between the layers of the blood vessel wall, leading to what is medically known as a dissection. This, in turn, results in decreased blood flow to major organs of the body.

 

 

 

The wall of the aorta is made of collagen, elastin and smooth muscles. In some people, especially those with connective tissue disorders, the collagen wears out quickly; this is one of the main reasons why the aortic dissection occurs in the first place. The collagen in the wall of the aorta wears out gradually over a period of time. However, once the dissection begins, it can progress very quickly and lead to potentially fatal consequences.

 

 

If patients afflicted with this condition do not seek treatment at a hospital immediately, one-third of them will die within a day. 50 percent of these patients will die within 2 days and nearly 75 percent will die within 2 weeks if appropriate treatment isn’t availed immediately.

 

 

 

Aortic dissection is quite a rare condition that occurs in very few patients. In America, this condition is present in just up to 3 patients per a population of 1,00,000 in a year. While detailed statistics aren’t available for the Indian population, it can be estimated that roughly the same occurrence rate prevails in our country as well. Some of the risk factors associated with aortic dissection include uncontrollable hypertension, a bicuspid aortic valve, connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome, pregnancy, etc. This condition is also known to occur more in men than in women.

 

 

The patient at STAR Hospitals was presented with severe chest pain and high blood pressure. He had a history of smoking and hypertension. After several imaging tests, the Cardiothoracic team at STAR Hospitals diagnosed him with aortic valve dissection and soon operated upon him. It’s possible that the patient’s history of smoking contributed to his condition in an indirect manner.

 

 

After a gruelling 6 hours, the doctors successfully repaired the aortic valve and first 10cm of the aorta of the patient. This was followed by stent graft placement in the rest of Thoracic Aorta, in the cath lab, 2 days later. Within two days, the patient was back on his feet and is now walking normally. Thanks to a lightning-quick, accurate diagnosis and the Cardiothoracic team’s combined acumen, the patient has been given a new lease of life at STAR Hospitals. He will be discharged shortly.

 

 

The uniqueness of this operation is that patient’s own valve was spared (Not replacing with an artificial valve) so that he does not have to take blood thinner medication for life. This type of valve sparing Aortic replacement in acute dissection setting in being reported first time in India.