Near-death experience: NRI with teeth problem saved from lurking heart failure
Dr Mukharjee Madivada of Pulse Heart Centre saved him with a stent to rectify the weak heart, treated the infection, stabilised the kidneys, and controlled the sugars
HYDERABAD: A non-resident Indian who visited Hyderabad for treatment of his teeth, ended up having a near-death experience, suddenly undergoing a cardiogenic shock. Dr Mukharjee Madivada of Pulse Heart Centre saved him with a stent to rectify the weak heart, treated the infection, stabilised the kidneys, and controlled the sugars.
A 44-year-old NRI from the USA visited India to get treatment for his teeth. He had a somewhat complex problem with his teeth, including many implants, infections and surgery. He also had diabetes. He and his wife never expected that death can lurk at unforeseen alleys on the road of life. While coming out from the anesthesia, the patient had severe pulmonary edema (fluid in his lungs). He was put on the ventilator, and diagnosed to have a weak heart. The doctors who intubated him told his wife that he needed a miracle to come out alive.
Shifted to Pulse Heart
He was shifted to Pulse Heart Centre on July 31, 2023. His condition was critical. His blood pressure was low (called cardiogenic shock) and he needed very high doses of BP-increasing medicines. His white blood corpuscle count was 27,000 indicating severe infection. His heart was fragile. His kidneys were failing and the doctors were not sure of his brain status.
Over the next 24 hours, the doctors found that his heart muscle was getting damaged. They did an angiogram and found critical blocks and put a stent to rectify the same. The doctors treated the infection, stabilised the kidneys, and controlled the sugars. His heart function improved dramatically post-stenting, and the doctors' team could reduce the BP-maintaining medicines and removed the ventilator on Wednesday, made him walk on Thursday and discharged him on Friday.
“Looking back, the recovery of the patient was really miraculous. When the patient’s wife touched my feet after the discharge, I was very uncomfortable. In fact, I was embarrassed. Sometimes, factors bigger than ourselves will be at play in the recovery of a patient. It feels wrong taking credit for those factors. But it still feels good. It reinforces the joy of practicing medicine,” Dr Mukharjee said in his tweet.