This marks the first time an aortic aneurysm rupture was treated using this system (Photo |Debadatta Mallick/EPS
CHENNAI: This stent is called the ‘anaconda’ stent because it can conform nicely to the shape of the artery and is easier to deploy as well,” said Dr Sekar Natarajan, chief vascular surgeon, Kauvery Hospital while talking about the successful completion of the first aortic aneurysm rupture treated using the technologically advanced Anaconda stent system.
The patient, Prabhakara Rao Kongalla, is a 69-year-old resident of Andhra Pradesh who had been suffering from severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a large aortic aneurysm in the abdomen due to abnormal dilatation of the aortic blood vessel.
The aorta is the largest vessel of the body and an abnormality in the aorta can lead to life-threatening conditions due to swelling of the aorta. Such life-threatening conditions can be treated using conventional stents through a key-hole procedure but people with unusual blood vessels cannot be treated through this procedure.
As a result, many patients with life-threatening aortic aneurysms and with very complex blood vessels have to undergo open surgical procedures.
“We opted for a minimally invasive keyhole procedure known as Endovascular Therapy, which will eliminate the need for open surgery and reduce the recovery period,” said Dr Natarajan. “Blood pressure has to be kept strictly in check and periodic check-ups are a must. What makes this procedure special is that it can be introduced without any cutting open, which was what was done traditionally and is a very painful process.”
By performing the keyhole procedure using the Anaconda Stent System, Kongalla was on his feet the day after the procedure and was discharged on the third day.
“We are glad to see the progress in his health from the day he was brought to the hospital to today where he stands amid us, all hale and hearty. It was not very long ago when Kongalla had come to us complaining of severe pain in the abdomen. On diagnosis, the unusual swelling was confirmed to be the infra-renal aortic aneurysm. Kauvery Hospital has been on the forefront in providing the best treatment options for various cardio-vascular ailments and conditions,” said Dr AB Gopalamurugan, senior consultant interventional cardiology and chief of endovascular therapy, Kauvery Hospital.
The doctors went on to add that there are no dedicated stent systems in the country that allow for treatment of such complicated aortic conditions. However, across the world, dedicated stent systems that are completely repositionable for such torturous aortic aneurisms called ‘Anaconda Stent Systems’ have been used.
Further, they warned that while this is common among people who are above 60 years of age, smokers, diabetics, those with hypertension and others who have undergone a bypass surgery must get an ultrasound done and visit an aortic centre.
The doctors said that treatment of emergencies regarding the aorta requires a large team with expertise, infrastructure and 24/7 service protocols. However, they added that there were only a handful of dedicated aortic centres in the country and Kauvery Hospital was one of them.
