In a high-stakes race against time, a specialist medical team led by Dr Prof. N.N. Khanna, Senior Consultant Cardiologist and North India Lead Consultant for Endovascular Services for the Apollo Group of Hospitals, has successfully performed a life-saving procedure on a patient with a leaking “hidden killer” spanning his chest and abdomen.
Aortic aneurysms, abnormal bulges in the wall of the body`s main artery, are often silent and can go unnoticed until they become life-threatening. This was the case of a 66-year-old patient suffering from chronic kidney disease.
He initially sought help for a persistent cough and fever, symptoms that appeared routine but masked a terrifying reality.
Advanced imaging revealed a thoraco-abdominal aneurysm, a massive localised ballooning of the artery extending through both the chest and the abdomen. Crucially, the aneurysm had already progressed to a contained rupture, with a leak actively bleeding into the chest cavity.
Left untreated, it was a “ticking time bomb” that could lead to fatal internal haemorrhage at any moment.
The patient`s case presented a significant complication: because he was suffering from chronic kidney disease and fragile overall health, conventional open-chest and open-abdominal surgery was deemed far too risky.
“This case was a true race against the clock,” said Dr Prof. N N Khanna. “With a rupture already in progress and the added complexity of kidney failure, there was no room for error. Acting in time can save lives.”
The team chose a safer, cutting-edge approach: Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR). The patient was first stabilised in the Cardiac Care Unit with specialised medication to lower blood pressure and reduce stress on the weakened artery wall.
Using a small “pinhole” incision in the groin, the team guided a specialised stent graft through the blood vessels into the thoracic area.
With meticulous precision, the graft was deployed to seal the leak in the chest cavity from the inside, reinforcing the damaged section and restoring stable blood flow through the thoraco-abdominal passage. The procedure was a total success, completed without major complications. Following the intervention, the patient`s respiratory symptoms eased, and his hemodynamic readings stabilised.
To support his long-term needs, the care team transitioned him to a dialysis regimen alongside his recovery. This outcome underscores the importance of rapid diagnosis. In complex thoraco-abdominal emergencies, the window between a contained rupture and a fatal one can close in minutes.
This success highlights the world-class expertise of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in utilising minimally invasive techniques to spare high-risk patients the trauma of major surgery, effectively giving them a new lease on