Times of India
11 March 2010
Jaipur, India

City doctor’s surgical feat lauded
Faced with a challenge to perform angioplasty on a woman with complete blockages in all major arteries, it was a touch of innovation that helped Dr Sanjeev Kumar of Jaipur to perform the complex surgery. Nearly an year after the incident the patient has shown improvement and the surgical innovation has been recognised by the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

The 55-year-old woman had approached the doctor with uncontrolled hypertension, repeated heart failure and had only one working kidney. During evaluation she was diagnosed with critical blockages of several important arteries arising from aorta (subclavian, carotids renal arteries) and also of aorta itself below the level of renal arteries.

When she was examined she had already lost one of her kidney due to the excess hypertension and a renal angioplasty was a must to avoid further damage to other organs. The blockage in the artieries made it difficulty for the doctors to control the movement of angioplasty equipment inside the patient.

“We were faced with a challenge as the catheter was unable to reach the spot where we intended to perform the procedure. However, using two guide wires and a special modified catheter we did it,” said Dr Sanjeev Sharma.

“Along with wires the use of special balloons were also made to control the movement of devices inside the patient body,” he added.

The American college has invited the Jaipur doctor to demonstrate the technique adopted by him at a conference in Atlanta in US on March 15.