Nagpur: What initially appeared to be a case of severe acidity in an 85-year-old farmer from Buldhana turned out to be a life-threatening vascular emergency, requiring urgent medical intervention and a highly specialised procedure at a city hospital.
The elderly patient was brought to a city private hospital with severe abdominal pain. A detailed evaluation, including a CT scan, revealed a large abdominal aortic aneurysm with a tear in the abdominal aorta — the body's largest vessel that supplies blood to vital organs. Doctors said the condition posed an immediate risk of fatal internal bleeding.
The patient was stabilised and kept under close observation while arrangements were made for a specialised aortic stent graft, which is not readily available in Nagpur. The device had to be procured from outside the city, resulting in a wait of nearly 12 hours before the procedure could be performed.
A team comprising interventional radiologists Dr Sachin Dhomne and Dr Pankaj Banode, CTVS surgeon Dr Ritesh Mate, and anaesthetist Dr Vinay Kulkarni carried out an endovascular aortic stent grafting procedure. Unlike conventional open surgery, the minimally invasive treatment was performed through small incisions in the groin, avoiding the need to open the abdomen. Doctors said the stent graft was successfully positioned inside the damaged section of the aorta, immediately sealing the leak and preventing further bleeding. The aneurysm was effectively excluded from blood circulation, significantly reducing the risk of rupture.
According to Dr Dhomne, the case was particularly challenging because of the patient's old age and the critical nature of the condition. He noted that conventional open surgery in such cases carries a significantly higher risk, whereas endovascular treatment offers a safer alternative for elderly patients. "People, especially those in advanced age, must not ignore abdominal pain brushing it aside as acidity," he said.
The farmer recovered well after the procedure and was discharged within four days. Doctors said he was able to walk independently and was free of abdominal pain at the time of discharge.
