Defying age, 96-year-old J. C. Mehta, former director of Delhi Public Library, has successfully undergone an open heart surgery at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital (BLK SSH) here.
“This successful medical intervention clocking over four hours will make him probably the oldest person in the country to have undergone open heart bypass surgery. Born in 1917, Mr. Mehta was actively working till 1978,” said Dr. Sushant Srivastava, senior consultant and director, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, BLK Heart Centre, who conducted this surgery.
This Paschim Vihar resident was admitted at BLK SSH after he complained of severe chest pain and suffered major heart attack earlier last month. He was operated on March 25.
Announcing this successful operation on Friday, Dr. Srivastava said: “We found that the patient had blockage of the left main artery of the heart, which was a serious situation. The kind of blockage that he had in the arteries had put him at risk for a second heart attack which he was unlikely to survive. The treatment for this kind of blockage is open heart bypass surgery only, which at his age was considered as very risky.”
Stating that it was difficult for the family also to make up their mind on the surgery, but finally his four daughters agreed to opt for an open heart bypass surgery, hospital’s director of finance and strategy Naresh Kapoor said: “It is important to point out that the decision to operate on Mr. Mehta was taken after due deliberation.”
Mr. Mehta’s age, fragile tissue, diseased arteries and weak lungs added to the risk of operation. “With meticulous precision and latest technique, bypass was done on the beating heart. The first few post operative days in the ICU were tense. Very slowly the heart started pumping better and gradually life supporting systems were removed. After a couple of days he had recovered enough to sit in a chair and walk with support,” added Dr. Mradul Kaushik, director Operations and Planning, BLKSSH.
“Bypass surgery at this age is high risk and very rare. This case offers hope of having a second innings for people in their 80s and 90s with serious heart disease,” added Dr. Kaushik.
