Medica Superspecialty Hospital, uses this rare technology for the first time to treat congenital structural heart disease

Medica Superspecialty Hospital the largest chain of private hospitals in Eastern India has always been a forerunner when it comes to implementation of cutting-edge life-saving technology to save patients. The hospital in its quest for superior treatment performed a keyhole procedure in the Cath lab and treated Priya Das (Name Changed) who was suffering from a complex congenital heart disease without any open-heart cardiac surgery. Medica Superspecialty Hospital becomes a part of only a handful of special league hospitals in India or globally to conduct such innovative treatment in the history of cardiac diseases. Priya Das underwent an interesting cardiac catheter intervention (micro keyhole procedure) at Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata on 25th  August, 2021. The team put in their combined efforts under the leadership of Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, Paediatric Cardiology who was ably supported by Cathlab team. The use of rotational angiogram is an advanced technique to do structural intervention in selected cases. The technology is available at Medica’s GE lab and for the first time it was used for structural heart intervention.

In a touching tale of life, Priya Das, 11-year-old orphan who lost her mother recently due to COVID and father earlier in life was brought to Medica Superspecialty Hospital with a complex congenital heart disease after two major cardiac surgery were already performed at some other hospital. She underwent staged palliation for her univentricular (Single lower chamber instead of two ventricle) heart outside. The oxygen saturation was low even after final operation (90-91%). There was a fenestration created as part of Fontan surgery (A palliative surgery where impure and pure blood is separated out via extracardiac artificial tube connection, lung artery directly connected to impure blood carrying vena cava). A 5 mm connection between IVC – Pulmonary artery conduit (Artificial tube connecting lung artery and vena cava) and Right atrium. There was shunting of blood from the Pulmonary circuit to the Right atrium which was the cause of desaturation. The surgery was incomplete as the fenestration was still not closed. The fenestration is made by the doctor who conducted the cardiac surgery for bailing out immediate post operative crisis.

Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, who performed the procedure, stated, “It was a challenge even for an experienced doctor to close an artificial connection who did not conduct the earlier surgeries. The abnormal connection between the artificial tube of impure blood (between lung artery and vena cava) and the right atrium is never in a fixed position and cannot be seen well by routine echocardiographic cardiac imaging. The rotation angiogram is rare technique which profiles the connection through 180-degree imaging while helping to detect the radio-contrast agent injected in the vein so that exact position of the abnormal connection can be readily localised. Once her parameters were found optimum for closure in balloon occlusion test ,the connection was closed with a newer device with complete occlusion and her saturation increasing to 97% on the table. The child has been discharged the next day itself and her smiling happy face brings lot of joy to us at Congenital and structural heart disease wing. We wish her a long and healthy life ahead.” 

Dr. Alok Roy, Chair FICCI Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group of Hospitals, averred, “The ultimate dexterity and unique ability to improvise during a critical procedure has always been the hallmark of Medica. I congratulate Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi along with the entire Cath Lab team who went beyond the normal and performed this sensitive case taking utmost care of the child who has suffered immensely in her life already. We are glad, we could perform this rare treatment and going forward we hope we are determined to offer the best solutions through the development of our congenital and structural heart disease wing.” 

Having set benchmarks in patient care, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, which has a world-class comprehensive department for heart failure, at the facility, in Kolkata, is widely known for its excellence in cardiac care has now added another feather to its cap, after successfully conducting the high-risk operation with extensive options for treatment and management of congenital cardiac disease.