Fortis Anandapur Performs Complex Life-Saving Heart Surgery to Save 78-year-old Woman

News Desk, News Nation 360 : A 78-year-old woman's persistent hoarseness of voice prompted a routine evaluation that resulted in the diagnosis of an uncommon and potentially fatal heart ailment. The woman was found to have a massive aneurysm, or abnormal swelling, of the aortic arch, which is the primary blood channel that carries blood from the heart to the brain and other parts of the body. A difficult 8-hour procedure on the aortic arch was completed by the medical team under the direction of Dr Sanjoy Sengupta, Consultant-Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur. Less than 10% of cases of aortic arch swelling, also known as an aortic arch aneurysm, are thought to be uncommon and are linked to a significant risk of rupture and stroke. A patient recently complained of persistent hoarseness and pain in her neck and upper chest for days. She had a high-risk medical history that included a recent mild stroke and a past cerebrovascular event. Physicians in the hospital conducted extensive investigations and found a giant abnormal swelling in the aortic arch of her heart. The swelling was compressing her vocal cord nerve and resulted in a change in voice. Physicians diagnosed this apparently simple complaint of voice as a life-threatening cardiac emergency. Advanced age and a history of strokes developed the situation further. The dilated aortic arch posed a risk of further strokes due to the potential of sending small clots to her brain. Physicians stabilised the patient and conducted an extensive neurological workup before surgery. Surgeons cleared her for the operation despite the presence of many significant risks. The team excised the diseased part of the aortic arch and replaced it with a synthetic graft. Surgeons briefly discontinued her blood flow during the surgery and used controlled cooling to protect her brain. Surgery went well, and the physicians discharged the patient in stable condition within one week.

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