Apollo Hospital surgeons treat SMA thrombus patient successfully

The 62-year-old male with a history of heart disease and co-morbidities spent close to two months in hospital

A team of surgeons at Apollo Hospital saved the life of a senior citizen with a severe gastroenterological ailment by carrying out a series of critical emergency procedures and follow-up.

The 62-year-old male from Thanjavur, with a history of heart disease and co-morbidities, came to the hospital complaining of abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with a thrombus (a blood clot formed within the vascular system and impeding blood flow) in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), which provides the primary arterial supply to the small intestine and ascending colon.

His bowel was found to have developed gangrene. On August 21, surgeons carried out an emergency laparotomy SMA thrombectomy along with resection of the non-viable bowel, a jejunostomy (exteriorisation of proximal bowel) and laparostomy (leaving the abdomen open), on the patient, according to a press release.

After being shifted to the intensive care unit, the patient underwent a re-look laparotomy 48 hours later, and the abdomen was closed. On September 2, another major surgery, an anastomosis of the jejunum to the large bowel, was performed to treat his high output fistula.

Anastomosis refers to a connection made surgically between adjacent blood vessels, parts of the intestine, or other channels of the body.

“We decided to go ahead with surgical intervention even though the mortality risk is high in cases of SMA thrombus. This patient fought all odds to come out of such a grave situation after spending close to two months in hospital,” said Mohamed Mansoor, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon, Apollo Hospital, who led the operating team, along with vascular surgeon C. Anand, and others.