Man lives with a hole in the heart for 64 years

Cardiac Specialists at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Jaipur , Jaipur successfully diagnosed and treated a 64-year-old patient with a hole in the heart, present since birth. The congenital heart defect – which is rare amongst adults, had gone undetected at several other hospitals and got diagnosed when the patient came to NH Jaipur with complaints of persistent uneasiness and shortness of breath.

The patient, a native of Chhattisgarh, Raipur was facing recurrent episodes of shortness of breath, palpitation, and uneasiness since the last 4 years. Despite having undergone multiple investigations at local hospitals, his condition went undetected. He then came to Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Jaipur, wherein an ECHO & Angiography was conducted to diagnose his condition. While the ECHO results helped detect the congenital heart defect, the Angiography
was conducted to rule out the possibility of a blockage in the heart.

The patient was diagnosed with Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) – a congenital heart defect in which the blood vessel connecting the aorta with pulmonary artery does not close naturally, soon after birth. This causes problems later in life – leads to mixing of oxygen-rich blood from the aorta with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery.

“Because most patients with PDA are diagnosed and treated when they are infants, this is a relatively rare birth defect amongst adults. An adult with untreated PDA is at high risk of developing heart failure which could be fatal. This patient was lucky to have survived so long because the hole in the heart was small” said Dr. Rahul Sharma, Consultant – Cardiology at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Jaipur.

This case was challenging as the hole in the heart was angulated requiring a modified approach for treatment. A multi-disciplinary team comprising of Dr. Rahul Sharma, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology & Dr. Prashant Mahawar, Consultant – Pediatric Cardiology
operated upon the patient in the hospital’s cath lab. Through a small nick in the groin area, a loop was created – a plug-like device was inserted into the pulmonary artery via the femoral artery & aorta and the defect was closed. The device blocked the blood flow occurring between the aorta and the pulmonary artery
and helped correct the problem.

Dr. Mala Airun, Zonal Clinical Director, Narayana Multispecialty Hospital said “Minimally invasive Device Closure has the advantage of quicker recovery and we are glad that the patient was benefitted. At Narayana, it is our constant endeavor to treat patients using the latest techniques such that the recovery is faster and without any complications”.  

The patient was conscious throughout the procedure and started eating and talking within two hours post procedure. He has recovered well and is now on regular follow up visit.