CHENNAI: Doctors at MGM Healthcare saved the life of a 69-year-old man who developed cardiogenic shock and suffered cardiac arrest during an emergency angioplasty by rapidly initiating Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), an advanced artificial heart and lung support system, according to a press release.
The patient was admitted with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), a severe form of heart attack, and was found to have critical blockages in the left main coronary artery and other major heart vessels. His condition was further complicated by cardiogenic shock, in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. During the emergency angioplasty, the patient developed a life-threatening heart rhythm disturbance, followed by cardiac arrest and circulatory collapse.
Though immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation restored his heartbeat, he remained critically unstable, prompting doctors to escalate support from an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) to ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). While an IABP works by rhythmically inflating and deflating in the aorta to improve blood flow and reduce the heart's workload, patients with severe cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest often require greater support. ECMO circulates blood through an external machine, where it is oxygenated and pumped back into the body, temporarily taking over much of the work of the heart and lungs.
Once his circulation was stabilised, the team led by Dr Babu Ezhumalai restored blood flow through complex angioplasty and stent implantation. After prolonged intensive care and multidisciplinary support, the patient was weaned off ECMO, regained mobility and was discharged in stable condition.
Follow-up evaluations showed his heart's pumping capacity improving from complete standstill after cardiac arrest to a normal ejection fraction of 53%, enabling him to return to an active daily life.
Dr Babu Ezhumalai said advanced Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) technologies enable doctors to safely perform high-risk angioplasty in patients with severe coronary artery disease, poor heart function and cardiogenic shock.
"By restoring blood flow early and supporting circulation during critical periods, these technologies can allow the heart muscle to recover, leading to better cardiac function and quality of life," he added.