Delhi man survives multiple organ failure

New Delhi, May 25 : A 50-year-old man who recently suffered multiple organ failure as a result of a rare heart condition got a new lease of life thanks to the timely intervention by doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital here.

Vinod Kumar Gupta was diagnosed with a large B-type dissection of the aorta -- a serious condition in which there is a tear in the wall of the major artery carrying blood out of the heart (aorta). 

As the tear extends along the wall of the aorta, blood can flow in between the layers of the blood vessel wall (dissection).

According to the doctors, Gupta's blood pressure (BP) had shot up to 220/130 mm and, as a result, he suffered multiple organ failure.

Gupta was admitted to the hospital with complaints of uneasiness and acute pain in the right side of his right leg, chest and upper back. He also lost sensation in his right leg.

His aorta had split into two parts longitudinally from the inner side ranging from origin of artery, which is supplying blood from his left upper limb to right lower limb. 

"As descending aorta had split, the organ was unable to conduct its function of sending purified blood to all the organs of the body, properly which is coming from false lumen of aorta including kidney, stomach, limbs, intestine etc and was hampering their functionality," Dr Naveen Bhamri, HOD and associate director (cardiology), told IANS.

The doctors implanted a graft and fixed his entry point of split aorta so that his organs get purified blood and recover eventually. 

After 24 hours of surgery, the patient started showing signs of improvement in the form of recovery of sensation in the right lower limb and on all biochemical parameters. 

"The patient is now doing well and all his organs are functioning properly," said Dr. Devender Agarwal, consultant (cardiology).