Excellent!
Technique used on Jayalalithaa revived techie’s heart function in 24 hours
Sreemoyee Chatterjee | TNN | Updated: Dec 13, 2016, 11.58 AM IST
Highlights
Jayalalithaa (PTI File Photo)
BENGALURU: It began with a sudden fever and after two days, Srinath, 43, found himself in the ICU. His heart had stopped functioning. The family was shocked as Srinath was a fitness freak and didn't have a history of heart disease. The techie was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation in the heart muscle. Today, Srinath is back on his feet.
What came to Srinath's rescue was extracorporeal membrane oxygenation+ (ECMO), the same procedure used by doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, to treat late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa last week. It involves the use of a machine+ , which drains out blood from the patient's body, removes carbon dioxide and pumps oxygen into the red blood cells to revive the heart.
"The awareness about ECMO is low+ , even among doctors in India. It can support even a severely damaged heart. For instance, if a healthy person suffers a heart attack, we can support him/her with an artificial heart. There's a need to create more awareness about the procedure," said renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty.
Narayana Hrudayalaya has conducted ECMO on over 500 patients, including Srinath, whose heart function was revived in 24 hours.
Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, chairman, Manipal Hospitals, said: "ECMO is predominantly used in two critical conditions — when the heart stops functioning, as it happened in Jayalalithaa's case, and when lung function is compromised because of infection, severe pneumonia or injury. During the H1N1 epidemic, ECMO was used to cure many patients who suffered from lung failure. At times, it's used for both lung and heart failure."
The success rate of ECMO, however, depends on how bad the heart's condition is when it malfunctions. "It depends on why the heart and lung fail. If the patient is fit but has a temporary heart problem, the result is quite positive. If a young patient with pneumonia has no other co-morbid condition, the lung can be well-supported by the machine. However, in the case of has multi-organ failure, the outcome is very guarded," added Dr Ballal.
The cost of the procedure ranges from Rs three lakh to Rs eight lakh.
New lease of life
Today, Srinath is back to work and is leading a normal life. Recalling the trauma, he said: "There was no blood flow to my brain, my cardiac function was nil and I was almost dead. My heart got infected by a virus that my body contracted when I had viral fever."
He added: "Within a day of being put on the ECMO machine, my heart's function increased from zero to 10% and after five days, it touched 25% . It came as a pleasant surprise to my family members who had almost given up hope." In the next two days, Srinath was shifted to the general ward and after 10 days of close monitoring, his heart function shot up to 35% — just 15% less than the heart output of any normal person.
After being discharged, he continued to be on medication. "I had to follow a strict diet and my fluid intake was limited to one litre a day. During my third follow-up visit, doctors found my heart output had reached 55%," added Srinath.
No age limit
ECMO works in the case of patients who have chances of reversibility of heart-lung function as it reduces the stress on these organs. However, it won't be of use to those suffering from irreversible heart damage. Those awaiting a heart transplant can be put on ECMO till they get a donor. From children to adults, anyone can benefit from the procedure
Dr C N Manjunath, director, Shri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...function-in-24-hours/articleshow/55948349.cms
Technique used on Jayalalithaa revived techie’s heart function in 24 hours
Sreemoyee Chatterjee | TNN | Updated: Dec 13, 2016, 11.58 AM IST
Highlights
- ECMO is the same procedure used by doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, to treat Jayalalithaa last week.
- The success rate of ECMO, however, depends on how bad the heart’s condition is when it malfunctions.
- The cost of the procedure ranges from Rs three lakh to Rs eight lakh.
Jayalalithaa (PTI File Photo)
BENGALURU: It began with a sudden fever and after two days, Srinath, 43, found himself in the ICU. His heart had stopped functioning. The family was shocked as Srinath was a fitness freak and didn't have a history of heart disease. The techie was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation in the heart muscle. Today, Srinath is back on his feet.
What came to Srinath's rescue was extracorporeal membrane oxygenation+ (ECMO), the same procedure used by doctors at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, to treat late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa last week. It involves the use of a machine+ , which drains out blood from the patient's body, removes carbon dioxide and pumps oxygen into the red blood cells to revive the heart.
"The awareness about ECMO is low+ , even among doctors in India. It can support even a severely damaged heart. For instance, if a healthy person suffers a heart attack, we can support him/her with an artificial heart. There's a need to create more awareness about the procedure," said renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty.
Narayana Hrudayalaya has conducted ECMO on over 500 patients, including Srinath, whose heart function was revived in 24 hours.
Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, chairman, Manipal Hospitals, said: "ECMO is predominantly used in two critical conditions — when the heart stops functioning, as it happened in Jayalalithaa's case, and when lung function is compromised because of infection, severe pneumonia or injury. During the H1N1 epidemic, ECMO was used to cure many patients who suffered from lung failure. At times, it's used for both lung and heart failure."
The success rate of ECMO, however, depends on how bad the heart's condition is when it malfunctions. "It depends on why the heart and lung fail. If the patient is fit but has a temporary heart problem, the result is quite positive. If a young patient with pneumonia has no other co-morbid condition, the lung can be well-supported by the machine. However, in the case of has multi-organ failure, the outcome is very guarded," added Dr Ballal.
The cost of the procedure ranges from Rs three lakh to Rs eight lakh.
New lease of life
Today, Srinath is back to work and is leading a normal life. Recalling the trauma, he said: "There was no blood flow to my brain, my cardiac function was nil and I was almost dead. My heart got infected by a virus that my body contracted when I had viral fever."
He added: "Within a day of being put on the ECMO machine, my heart's function increased from zero to 10% and after five days, it touched 25% . It came as a pleasant surprise to my family members who had almost given up hope." In the next two days, Srinath was shifted to the general ward and after 10 days of close monitoring, his heart function shot up to 35% — just 15% less than the heart output of any normal person.
After being discharged, he continued to be on medication. "I had to follow a strict diet and my fluid intake was limited to one litre a day. During my third follow-up visit, doctors found my heart output had reached 55%," added Srinath.
No age limit
ECMO works in the case of patients who have chances of reversibility of heart-lung function as it reduces the stress on these organs. However, it won't be of use to those suffering from irreversible heart damage. Those awaiting a heart transplant can be put on ECMO till they get a donor. From children to adults, anyone can benefit from the procedure
Dr C N Manjunath, director, Shri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...function-in-24-hours/articleshow/55948349.cms
