Doctors at CARE Hospitals Save the Life of an 84-Year-Old Woman by Performing a Highly Complex Heart Surgery
Hyderabad: In a remarkable high-risk cardiac surgery success, doctors at CARE Hospitals, Hitech City, successfully performed a highly complex minimally invasive heart surgery on an 84-year-old woman from Anantapur who was suffering from severe heart failure, advanced kidney disease, and pulmonary hypertension.The elderly patient, Mrs. Subha Rathnamma, had reportedly become almost bedridden after repeated hospital admissions for congestive heart failure and severe breathing difficulty.
According to doctors, she required oxygen support even while resting and her condition had deteriorated significantly over the past few months.Medical evaluation at CARE Hospitals revealed severe mitral valve prolapse along with advanced pulmonary arterial hypertension. Doctors also found that she was suffering from advanced chronic kidney disease with severely compromised kidney function, making the case extremely high-risk for conventional open-heart surgery.Family members said they had consulted multiple hospitals earlier, but surgery was reportedly deferred because of her advanced age, frailty, kidney dysfunction, and multiple health complications. With her health worsening progressively, the family approached CARE Hospitals, Hitech City, as a final hope.
After detailed multidisciplinary assessment and careful perioperative planning, a specialized team comprising cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, cardiac anesthesia specialists, intensivists, and nephrology experts decided to proceed with a Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) Mitral Valve Replacement using a tissue valve.
Despite the extremely high surgical risk, the surgery was performed successfully. Doctors said the patient was extubated on the first postoperative day and remained hemodynamically stable throughout recovery.Within a few days after surgery, the patient reportedly showed significant improvement. She gradually regained strength, started walking independently again, was able to sleep comfortably, and no longer required oxygen support.
Family members described the moment she walked comfortably without oxygen support after months of suffering as an emotional turning point.
Dr. Ravi Raju Chigullapally, Senior Consultant Cardio Thoracic Vascular, Minimally Invasive & Endoscopic Cardiac Surgeon at CARE Hospitals, Hitech City, said performing heart surgery in an elderly frail patient with severe pulmonary hypertension and advanced kidney disease is extremely challenging.“
In many such cases, patients are considered inoperable because the risks are very high. However, minimally invasive cardiac surgery helps reduce surgical trauma, blood loss, postoperative pain, and recovery time. Careful planning and coordinated multidisciplinary care played a crucial role in this successful outcome,” he said.
Dr. V. Vinoth Kumar, Cathlab Director & Senior Interventional Cardiologist at CARE Hospitals, Hitech City, said many elderly patients continue to suffer with severe valvular heart disease assuming treatment may not be possible because of age or associated illnesses.“Advancements in minimally invasive cardiac procedures are now helping even high-risk elderly patients undergo treatment safely and regain a significantly better quality of life,” he added.
Doctors explained that minimally invasive cardiac surgery is increasingly emerging as an important treatment option for carefully selected high-risk elderly patients, particularly those who may not tolerate conventional open-heart surgery due to severe comorbidities.
They emphasized that timely evaluation and advanced cardiac intervention can significantly improve survival and quality of life even in highly complex elderly patients who may otherwise have very limited treatment options.