Man undergoes rare surgery in city hospital

After being hospitalised at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital due to severe chest pain and breathlessness, the patient underwent investigations that revealed tearing of aorta (acute type 1 aortic dissection), which affects the pumping of oxygen and blood to the heart. Following this, he was referred to the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital (SRMCH) in Chennai for further treatment. There, he underwent a rare surgical procedure – Bentall – in which the aorta valve is replaced with an artificial valve. Such is the complexity of the procedure that it takes about 10-12 hours, said senior consultant at the institute Dr Srinivas Reddy. World over, only two to three per 10,000 people undergo the surgery every year, added the doctor.