Media Room

Doctors save man after his heart stops for an hour following multiple cardiac arrests

A team of doctors at KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum successfully saved the life of a patient who suffered multiple cardiac arrests and had a blockage in the left main coronary artery as well as coronary thrombosis.

The 40-year-old patient was brought to the Department of Emergency complaining of chest pain and breathing difficulty, suffering a cardiac arrest upon arrival. Despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts that lasted for 45 minutes, he experienced several cardiac arrests. Gauging the seriousness of the situation, the medical team immediately initiated Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR), a life-saving procedure where ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is used to support heart and lung function while CPR continues.

He was soon shifted to the cath lab with ECMO support for an angiogram, which revealed a large blood clot (coronary thrombosis) and a significant blockage in the left main coronary artery. This was a life-threatening condition, as the left main artery supplies blood to the heart's main pumping chamber. A blockage in this artery can impede the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart, potentially leading to cardiac arrest or a heart attack. Coronary thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in the blood vessels or arteries of the heart, which may partially or completely obstruct blood flow. It accounts for one-third of sudden cardiac deaths in the country, approximately two lakh deaths per year.

Dr. Dhinesh David, Consultant, Department of Cardiology, led a complex procedure that included thrombosuction and angioplasty to remove the blood clot and blockage. Thrombosuction involved placing a thrombectomy device at the clot site and applying suction to remove the clot. "This was a challenging case with a very low chance of survival," said Dr. Dhinesh. "The patient's heart had stopped multiple times, and the blockage was in a critical location. However, due to the swift and coordinated response of the entire team, we were able to intervene and successfully restore blood flow to the heart," added Dr. David.

Following the procedure, the patient was transferred to the ICU with ECMO support to assist heart function. After a week in intensive care and a month in the hospital, he was discharged with improved heart function and is currently under regular follow-up.

Dr. Sumithran Gangadharan, Senior Consultant, Dr. Zaynah Zainuddin, Associate Consultant, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Praveen SV, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, Dr. Shameem K.U., Consultant, Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Anil Radhakrishnan Pillai, Dr. Subash S., Consultants, and Dr. Ashwin Haridas, Associate Consultant, Department of Cardiac Anesthesia, were also part of the treatment team.