THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kims health Trivandrum has successfully treated a patient with Boerhaave’s syndrome, a rare and life-threatening condition in which a tear develops in the oesophagus and fluid leaks into the chest cavity.
The 53-year-old male, presented with severe chest pain and vomiting was promptly diagnosed with Boerhaave’s syndrome and underwent emergency surgery to remove the fluid from his chest and fix the perforation.
Following the initial surgery, the patient underwent multiple sessions of EndoVac Therapy, which uses negative pressure to rapidly heal oesophageal perforations. The minimally invasive procedure involves placing a special drainage tube in the oesophagus to create a controlled suction environment.
The negative pressure helps drain fluids and secretions from the perforation site, promoting healing and preventing infection.
“Here, the esophageal perforation was caused by excessive pressure from vomiting,” said Dr Shiraz Ahmad Rather, Clinical Chair,of Multiorgan Transplant.
He said without proper care, the mortality rate of the rare condition can be as high as 60%.
After three weeks of continuous EndoVac therapy, the patient’s oesophageal perforation healed completely. He was started on an oral diet and discharged with complete recovery.
“This is the second such patient here to benefit from the new approach,” said Dr Madhu Sasidharan, senior consultant, at the Department of Gastroenterology. “Only a few centres in India offer EndoVac therapy,” he said.
Dr Shabeerali T U, chief coordinator & senior consultant; Dr Varghese Yeldo, consultant (hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgery); Dr Ajith K Nair and Dr Harish Kareem, senior consultants, Gastroenterology; Dr Arun P, associate consultant, Gastroenterology; Dr Shaji Palangadan, senior consultant and coordinator, Cardiothoracic Surgery, along with Dr Hashir A, consultant, anaesthesia, were part of the team.