A 31-year-old man from the city was diagnosed with a combination of extremely rare and severe heart problems. His heart valves had developed severe leakages, and his aorta was abnormally dilated — measuring 6 cm instead of the normal 3 cm. Because of the valve leakages, blood was flowing back into the heart rather than circulating to the rest of the body.
As a result, the patient experienced severe symptoms, including swelling in the legs, breathlessness, and difficulty performing daily activities. He also had a congenital heart defect called a ventricular septal defect (VSD) — a large hole between the heart walls.
Single Surgery to Correct Multiple Defects
Doctors at Kamineni Hospitals, LB Nagar, successfully treated all these problems in a single surgery and saved his life. The medical team stopped the patient’s heart for one and a half hours and maintained circulation using a heart-lung machine while performing the procedure.
Consultant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Dr. Rishith Bathini, explained,
“Because of the valve leakages, a large volume of blood was flowing back into the heart. Additionally, the aorta had expanded to 6 cm, which posed a high risk of rupture or dissection — a potentially fatal complication. The patient also had a large VSD, which usually needs to be repaired early in life. Left untreated, such defects enlarge over time, causing mixing of pure and impure blood and turning the body bluish. In this patient, the dilated aorta had partially covered the hole, which prolonged his survival.”
Bentall’s Procedure Performed
The doctors decided to perform a single corrective surgery — Bentall’s procedure. They first stopped the heart and replaced its function with a heart-lung machine. During the operation, they:
- Replaced the dilated aorta with an artificial valve
- Reconstructed the ascending aorta and repaired the root
- Corrected the VSD and other heart defects
- Reimplanted the blood vessels
Dr. Bathini added, “This was a highly complex surgery. Since the aorta was stretched to 6 cm, its walls were very thin, making suturing difficult and increasing the risk of bleeding. Re-implanting the blood vessels also carried a risk of heart failure. Despite the challenges, we were able to complete the surgery safely.”
Successful Outcome and Quick Recovery
Before the surgery, the patient’s heart function had dropped to just 20–30%. After the procedure, it improved dramatically to 90%. Remarkably, the team did not require a single unit of blood transfusion during the surgery.
As per the press release, the patient recovered well — he was shifted from the ICU to the ward by the third day and discharged on the fifth day. The surgery team included Chief Cardiac Anaesthetist Dr. Suresh Kumar, Anaesthetist Dr. Ravali, and Perfusionists Dr. Pavan and Dr. Durga.
World Heart Day Initiative
On the occasion of World Heart Day (September 29), Kamineni Hospitals announced a Heart Check-up Camp. The camp will offer a 30% discount on doctor consultations and a 20% discount on investigations from September 29 to October 11.