Critical cardiac surgery done in Karachi Hospital, hole repaired in Aorta

KARACHI: Muhammad Javed, 58, is weak but happy. He just went through a life-saving surgery.

For the first time in Pakistan a surgery took place to repair a hole in his aorta-- the main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. In the human body it passes over the heart from the left ventricle.

Javed had had a bypass surgery one and half month ago. He returned for a follow-up complaining of cough and swelling on the chest, his doctor Dr. Asadullah Hussaini said. He is also Deputy Executive Director of Karachi Institute of Heart Disease.

Coughing is not a good sign for patients who have had a bypass surgery. The pressure on his chest had broken his sternal wires and made a two-centimeter-wide hole in his Aorta. “Initially we prescribed him antibiotics but he didn't get relief so I asked him to get an echocardiography,” Dr Hussaini said.

The reports were not good. They showed blood clotting and palpitation.

Cardiac experts suggested that another bypass surgery will be risky, and they may lose the patient.

“So we decided to take a risk and repair a hole in the ascending Aorta and put a graft patch,” Dr Hussaini said.

The doctors informed the family that a surgery is possible, but the stakes are high. There are only 10 percent chances of saving Javed. On the other hand, if a surgery is not done, they will lose Javed in a month.

Javed survived an eight-hour long surgery which a team of 30 medics conducted including Dr Sarosh, Dr Rafiq and Dr Qaiser.