UAE: Patient who lost 90% of his heart function saved in complex surgery

At 38, Jai Singh Yadav — a non-smoker and a vegetarian — was shocked when he heard that only 10 per cent of his heart was functioning. Doctors first thought no surgery could treat him, but as they looked deeper into his case, they found a solution.

Singh, who works as a crane operator in the UAE, discovered that he had a heart condition when he suddenly felt a severe pain in his chest one day, as he returned home from work.

He was then rushed to a Dubai hospital where he had to undergo several tests that included an angiogram. Medics saw that Singh had no other risk factors, as he wasn’t smoking and he didn’t eat meat.

“Most probably this was because of his genes,” said Dr Girishchandra Varma, Head of Cardiac Surgery, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Nahda, Dubai, who operated on him.

With an experience of over 30 years, Dr Varma and his team ultimately did a bypass surgery. “We did a coronary endarterectomy, and this is done on the beating heart only here in the UAE...in our unit,” he said.

“The cardiologist had assessed the patient, who came in with chest pain and difficulty in breathing. He was then admitted and they did an angiogram and a 2D echo test. In the angiogram, they found that he had extensive coronary artery disease and in the 2D echo they saw that his heart functions were only 10 per cent. So, the cardiologists were of the opinion that he is inoperable, and we could just give him medication and send him home,” Dr Varma recalled.

The team, however, did further investigations so they could do their best to improve his quality of life. More tests were done — and in those examinations, the doctors found a ‘ray of hope’.

They explained that the case was particularly difficult and complex because the patient’s heart function was way below normal.

“We took him for surgery, explaining all the risks to the patient, his brother and a company representative who was there. In this centre, we do all our bypass cases on a beating heart. We don’t use the heart lung machine for any of the coronary bypass surgeries. We did five bypass grafts for him. Additionally, we did reboring (removing plaque completely from the artery and putting a graft there) of two arteries,” explained Dr Varma.

The patient, who underwent the procedure on December 7, has already been discharged. Medics say he can resume work after six weeks.

Singh, who has been in the UAE for over a decade now, said: “I am filled with gratitude for Dr Varma and his team. I am feeling much better now and I am happy to learn that I will be able to resume my work soon. I am aware of the fact that I had a critical operation . But the promptness and professionalism with which the doctors here dealt with the case has resulted in the success of this surgery. I feel indebted to them.”

• Dubai