East India’s first Frozen Elephant Trunk procedure performed at Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Kolkata
19 February 2021, Kolkata: RN Tagore Hospital, Mukundapur performed Eastern India’s first Frozen Elephant Trunk surgery for the treatment of Acute Aortic dissection. Frozen Elephant Trunk procedure derives its name from the graft used in the procedure which resembles the trunk of an elephant and it is a single stage correction for this life-threatening condition.
47 years old Mr. Suresh (Name Changed) from Manipur was suffering with repeated episodes of chest pain and visited the local physician. Due to this frequent discomfort he was suggested to undergo CT angiography Chest and was diagnosed with Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection (exsanguation of blood from the true lumen of the aorta to false lumen through a rent leading to compression of the true lumen which leads to reaping off or shutting the blood supply of the major organs).Doctors from Manipur contacted Dr.Atanu Saha, Sr cardiac surgeon at RN Tagore Hospital, Kolkata. Mr. Samom Birojit Singh airlifted and brought to the RN Tagore Hospital for further examination and treatment.
After reaching RN Tagore Hospital, Kolkata he was initially stabilized and a CT Angiogram was done which confirmed the diagnosis to be a case of Acute Type A Aortic dissection. Heart team under the experienced leadership of Dr.AtanuSaha took up this challenging surgery which lasted for more than 15hours. Given the complexity and the duration of the surgery, post-operative recovery of the patient was uneventful and he was subsequently discharged on the 8th post-operative day.
Dr.AtanuSaha, Senior Consultant, Cardiac Surgeon, RTIICS said that, “Considering the anatomy and various factors Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure (FET), is a unique hybrid procedure which is a combination of stent graft and an open surgical procedure. Immediate intervention is needed in such cases of dissection, hence the early diagnosis and prompt operation was the key to success in this case. I am thankful to my entire team for their cooperation and assistance.”
Dr. Mrinalendu Das, Senior Consultant Cardiac and Heart Transplant Surgeon, RTIICS said that, “Dr. Saha and his team’s effort in this surgery has made this procedure possible. This is first time in Eastern part of India, that such surgery is done. It gives us immense pleasure to see Mr. Suresh back to normal routine life.”
Dr. Lalit Kapoor, Senior Consultant, Cardiac Surgeon, RTIICS said that, “Extremely happy to see the surgical outcome which saved patient’s life. This is a challenging and very complex procedure performed first time in the Eastern Region. I wish the patient a speedy recovery and a healthy future, who underwent this procedure.”
Mr. Abhijit CP, Facility Director, RN Tagore Hospital, Kolkata said that, “RN Tagore has been providing quality, cutting edge care in cardiac and Other super specialties over the last two decades. We are committed to adopting the latest technologies and methodologies to help provide the most advanced medical care possible, for our patients. The Frozen Elephant Trunk procedure is an example of this and another feather in our cap. I’m also very thankful to the people of Bengal for their unwavering faith and support.”
Rabindranath Tagore Institute of Cardiac Sciences:
Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) Kolkata is a 681 bedded NABH accredited superspecialty hospital located on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass at Mukundapur. RTIICS is one of the leading hospitals in eastern India, operating in cardiac sciences (including heart transplantation), renal sciences (including kidney transplantation), GI Sciences (Including liver transplantation), Neurosciences and Orthopedics.