Kauvery Hospital, a leading multi – specialty and tertiary care hospital chain, successfully treats a life threatening aortic aneurysm rupture by using the technologically advanced Anaconda stent system for the first time in India.
Mr. Prabhakara Rao Kongalla, a 69 – year – old resident from Andhra Pradesh suffered from severe abdominal pain and he was diagnosed to have a large aortic aneurysm in the abdomen due to abnormal dilatation of the aortic blood vessel. Before coming to Kauvery Hospital, he had visited various hospitals wherein he was suggested to have an open surgery which involved increased risk and several days of stay in the ICU, eventually resulting in prolonged convalescence.
The aorta is the largest vessel of the body and an abnormality in the aorta can lead to life threatening conditions due to swelling of the aorta (referred to as the dilatation or a tear of the aorta which is referred to as dissection). Such life threatening conditions can be treated using conventional stents through a key-hole procedure but people with unusual blood vessels cannot be treated through this procedure. As a result, many patients with life threatening aortic aneurysms and with very complex blood vessels have to undergo open surgical procedures.
Mr. Kongalla was assessed by Kauvery Hospital’s dedicated 24 – hour aortic team. The doctors had suggested for a treatment through a minimally invasive keyhole procedure known as Endovascular Therapy, which will eliminate the need for a open surgery and reduce the recovery period and allow the patient to walk home in two days.
In India, there are no dedicated stent systems in the country that allows for treatment of such complicated aortic conditions. However, across the world, dedicated stent systems that are completely repositionable for such torturous aortic aneurisms called ‘Anaconda Stent Systems’ have been used. Procedures using Ananconda Stent System has never been performed in India owing to the lack of expertise. However, the aortic team at Kauvery Hospital decided to import the Anaconda Stent System and perform the procedure. The team of doctors, led by Dr Sekar Natarajan, Chief Vascular Surgeon, Kauvery Hospital and Dr A.B. Gopalamurugan, Senior Consultant Interventional
Cardiology and Chief of Endovascular Therapy, Kauvery Hospital performed the challenging procudure in critical circumstances on Mr. Kongolla.
By performing the keyhole procedure using Anaconda Stent System, the very complex and dilated aortic aneurysm was treated successfully which allowed Mr. Kongalla to be mobilized the day after the procedure and be discharged on the third day.
Dr A. B. Gopalamurugan who is an expert in such Endovascular therapies and who has performed several new procedures in the country, explained the key aspects of the Anaconda Stent System today by demonstrating the device.
Kauvery Hospital has been at the forefront of cutting edge cardiovascular and blood vessel treatments over the last few years. The hospital also runs a 24/7 dedicated Aortic Centre to deal with life threatening conditions such as Aortic Aneurisms and Aortic Dissections.
