Young obese man saved after heart attack, thanks to radial angioplasty

A 25-year-old man, who weighed over a 100 kg and had suffered a heart attack, was given a new lease of life after undergoing a surgery that involves a minimally invasive approach at a leading private facility here, hospital authorities said on Thursday.The patient was brought to Max hospital, Saket in south Delhi after having suffered a heart attack, and was diagnosed to have 99 per cent obstruction in his left anterior descending artery LAD, doctors said.Doctors opted to carry out radial angioplasty recently on him to open the blocked coronary arteries and restore blood flow.

A 25-year-old man, who weighed over a 100 kg and had suffered a heart attack, was given a new lease of life after undergoing a surgery that involves a minimally invasive approach at a leading private facility here, hospital authorities said on Thursday.

The patient was brought to Max hospital, Saket in south Delhi after having suffered a heart attack, and was diagnosed to have 99 per cent obstruction in his left anterior descending artery (LAD), doctors said.

Doctors opted to carry out radial angioplasty recently on him to open the blocked coronary arteries and restore blood flow. This was via the artery that supplies the blood to the hand from the heart.

Radial Angioplasty is a minimally invasive approach that allows experts to reach the heart via the radial artery in the wrist. It requires clinical expertise and is considered safer than the femoral route since veins and arteries are not at risk of getting punctured; and patient is also mobilised faster post the procedure, the doctors said.

With early intervention and stent placement, doctors were successfully able to manage his condition and stabilise the patient, the hospital said in a statement.

Dr Viveka Kumar, principal director and chief of Cath Labs (Pan Max) - Cardiac Sciences, who led the case, said, ''In this particular case, the procedure became vital since the patient was obese. We chose radial angioplasty to minimise blood loss. We also wanted early mobilisation since obese patients like him, are at a high risk of complications''.

Traditionally, coronary angioplasty has been done through the femoral artery, accessed from the patient's groin. However, in this case the chances of complications and bleeding were higher. While radial angioplasty is a clinically challenging procedure as the blocked artery is reached through narrower blood vessels in the hand, this procedure is safer than the femoral route with lowered chances of puncture in major blood vessels, he said.

Kumar added that in view of the patient's young age, he was implanted with an absorbable stent which will get absorbed in two years and the patient does not have to take blood thinners life-long.

In radial angioplasty procedure, a wire is taken to the blocked coronary artery. Then a balloon is inflated across the blockage to make appropriate space for the stent to be deployed as scaffolding to the artery and preventing further recurrence of blockage, the statement said.

This patient was non-diabetic and non-hypertensive but a smoker and weighed over 100 kg. He was managed early in the emergency with anti-platelets (to prevent clotting) and anti-anginal medications.

''After shifting him to the Cath-Lab for an angiogram, we ascertained that he had 99 per cent obstruction in his left anterior descending artery (LAD) and a thrombus (blood clot) in the proximal region. We immediately planned for stenting and thrombus aspiration to remove the clot. Thankfully he responded well to the procedure and normal blood flow was restored in the LAD artery. He recovered soon and was sent home just after two days of hospital stay,'' the doctor said.

While this patient was never infected with Covid, Kumar pointed out that there was a ''definite link'' between Covid and increased incidence of heart attacks.

''During the Covid and post-Covid era, a significant number of people are experiencing cardiac issues and there has been an alarming rise in episodes of heart attacks as well. It is mainly the post-Covid patients who are more prone to heart attacks, however, they can be treated successfully if brought to the hospital on time,'' he added.

The risk of heart attack and stroke increases three-fold in the first two weeks following COVID-19, according to a study published in The Lancet journal, the statement claimed.

''COVID-19 patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease have increased case fatality rates as compared to others. Most cardiovascular events in patients with COVID -19 are the result of severe immune over-reaction by the body," he said.

Symptoms of a heart attack, include uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness and pain in the centre of the chest lasting more than a few minutes, or intermittently erupting. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach, shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort, cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness are some other symptoms to be aware of, doctors said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)