Doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, have successfully treated 100 patients in recent times suffering from aortic aneurysm, a bulge that occurs in the wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery which carries blood from the heart to other parts.
According to the doctors, lack of treatment for this condition could lead to bleeding in the lungs or the stomach and could cause death. Endovascular aortic repair is a minimally invasive procedure to treat aneurysm when a stent is inserted into the body. A pinhole with a diameter of 6 mm is created in a blood vessel on the leg for the purpose.
Medical college principal K.G. Sajeeth Kumar said on Thursday that the interventional radiology department of the hospital had so far successfully completed this procedure on 100 patients. Earlier, major surgeries in the stomach or the lungs were required to treat the disease. Now, the patient can be discharged in 24 hours after the procedure and almost 90% of the condition can be treated. The treatment cost is between ₹4 lakh and ₹7 lakh. Those covered under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati health insurance scheme can get free treatment for up to ₹5 lakh.
Apart from Dr. Sajeeth Kumar, M.P. Sreejayan, hospital superintendent and Head of the Department of Surgery; S. Rajesh, Head of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery; K.R. Radha, Head of the Department of Anaesthesia; E. Devarajan, Head of the Department of Radiology; and interventional radiologist K.R. Rahul are part of the team.
Published - October 17, 2024 07:24 pm IST