Team of Cardiologists at GCS Hospital performed a unique complex surgery that involved opening of blocked heart arteries and the closing of an extra vessel simultaneously.

 Patient Deepikaben was diagnosed with a unusual heart diseases at just age of 39 years. The team of interventional cardiologists at GCS Hospital have performed the first-of-its-kind heart procedure on a female patient wherein the opening of blocked heart arteries and closing of an extra vessel were undertaken simultaneously.

Deepikaben, a resident of, Valsad, was suffering from arthritis for 2-3 years, she started having severe swelling on her body, accompanied by difficulty in breathing and fast and loud heartbeat. She visited several hospitals in Valsad and Mumbai but there wasn’t any improvement in her condition. She was referred to Dr. Roopesh Singhal, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at GCS Hospital, who decided to treat Dipikaben’s Edema first.  After initial treatment an angiography to evaluate Dipikaben’s heart condition revealed an extra vessel arising from the left main coronary artery that was diverting oxygenated blood to the right atrium. There was also a blockage in the two main heart arteries arising from the left main coronary artery. Because of this diversion and the blockage in coronary arteries; the heart couldn’t get enough blood supply leading to strain in the pumping function. Her previous history of arthritis meant that she was not fit for the open-heart surgery, further complicating the matter.

After a lot of consideration, the team of interventional cardiologists – Dr. Roopesh Singhal, Dr. Zeeshan Mansuri, and Dr. Jit Brahmbhatt came up with the idea to perform a minimally invasive surgery but with a novel approach. A small puncture was made in the leg vessel and a special device called Amplatzer vascular plug to close the extra vessel was inserted through the femoral artery. Angioplasty was performed on the patient by inserting a balloon and stent from the same puncture to open the severely diseased artery.

“This was rare procedure to open the blocked heart artery and close the extra vessel from the left main coronary artery were done simultaneously through the same minor incision. The surgery may seem to be simple but there was great risk involved. We managed to perform the surgery successfully due to meticulous planning and careful execution by the entire cardiology team and support staff,” said Dr. Singhal. Along with Dr. Singhal, consultant interventional cardiologists Dr. Zeeshan Mansuri and Dr. Jit Brahmbhatt were also a part of the team that performed the complicated surgery.

Deepikaben thanked the doctor and the hospital and said, “Doctor Sahib has brought me back from the brink of death. Despite traveling to so many places and spending so much money, the doctors and staff of GCS Hospital have done it free of cost under the Ayushman scheme. Now I don’t even have trouble breathing and heartbeat is normal too. Thank you very much for this new life.” Deepikaben was kept in the hospital for 11 days and then discharged. Now she is living a healthy life at home