Bhubaneswar: In a remarkable turnaround, a 47-year-old patient from West Bengal has been brought back from the brink of death, following a complex medical intervention at KIMS Super Specialty Hospital.
Admitted on September 1, 2024 at the Medical Intensive Care Unit of KIMS, the patient faced severe respiratory distress, marked by breathlessness, fever, and persistent cough with phlegm production.
Upon evaluation, doctors discovered a critical chest infection affecting both lungs, compounded by pus, fluid and air accumulation around the right lung. Despite initial efforts, including the placement of a chest drain to relieve pressure, the patient’s condition worsened. With dangerously low oxygen levels, the medical team made the difficult decision to place him on a ventilator. The situation escalated further when they identified a rare complication known as a broncho-pleural fistula, where a connection forms between the lung’s air cavity and the surrounding pleura.
A dedicated team of specialists, including Dr. Sunil Kumar Jena (Critical Care Medicine), Dr. Chandan Kumar Ray Mohapatra (CTVS), and Dr. Debasis Behera (Pulmonary Medicine), quickly devised an advanced treatment plan. They initiated VV ECMO (veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a lifesaving procedure for patients experiencing severe respiratory failure. In a ground-breaking approach, one lung ventilation was performed, isolating the compromised right lung while carefully managing the left.
ECMO is used to treat a range of severe heart and lung conditions, including cardiac arrest and respiratory failure.
“This case highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the extraordinary capabilities of modern medicine,” said Dr. Jena. “Our team’s commitment to patient care and innovative treatment options truly made a difference.”
For five gruelling days, the patient remained on one lung ventilation, adhering to strict infection control protocols and receiving targeted antibiotics to combat the severe infection. The doctors administered an autologous blood patch—injecting 50 ml of the patient’s own blood into the surrounding cavity of the right lung to help seal the fistula.
Gradually, after ten days of intensive care, the patient was taken off ECMO support and liberated from the ventilator. With ongoing nutritional rehabilitation and physiotherapy, he is now recovering well in the hospital ward, free from infection and breathing independently.
“I came here with gastric related problems, but my condition deteriorated after that. I don’t know what happened after that. For one week, I wasn’t aware if I was alive. The doctors gave me a rare type of treatment. I am feeling extremely well now, thanks to the team of doctors who gave me a new lease of life,” the patient said.