In a rare and inspiring medical success, a 54-year-old Delhi resident battling multiple serious health problems, including kidney failure, heart disease, diabetes, and past brain surgery, has made a recovery after a high-risk heart operation at Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka. The case stands out not just for the complexity of the surgery, but for the coordinated effort of multiple medical departments working together to save a life many had written off.
Saurav arrived at the hospital on 16 April with severe chest pain, vomiting during his regular dialysis, and breathlessness. His medical history was already daunting: advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD stage 5) on dialysis, triple vessel coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, a history of tuberculosis, previous brain surgery, and even a recent episode of internal bleeding due to ulcers.
“We knew we were looking at a very high-risk case,” said Dr Khushwant Popli, senior consultant, Cardiac Surgery, who led the operation. “The patient’s heart was functioning at just 30–35%, three major arteries were completely blocked with calcium buildup, and his kidney condition meant there was no urine output. Add to that his recent gastrointestinal bleed and past surgeries, and we had every red flag you can imagine.”
Tests confirmed that Saurav had suffered serious heart damage. An ECG showed signs of a heart attack, and a heart scan revealed that the blood supply to his heart was severely restricted. Despite the risks, the cardiac team made a bold decision to go ahead with emergency coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), which is rarely attempted in such fragile patients.
The surgery, performed using a beating-heart technique, involved three bypass grafts. Some arteries were so damaged and calcified that they could not be grafted. Still, the operation proceeded with utmost caution, and thankfully, Saurav’s condition began to stabilize after surgery, said Dr. Popli.
His recovery was made possible through continuous dialysis support from the nephrology team, round-the-clock monitoring, and careful management of medications to protect his kidneys, heart, and other organs. He was weaned off the ventilator, and within two weeks, he was fit to go home, he said.
“This is what modern healthcare should look like,” said Dr. Aashish Chaudhry, managing director, Aakash Healthcare. “It’s not just one doctor or one procedure that saved Saurav. It was a holistic approach — heart surgeons, kidney specialists, gastroenterologists, anesthetists, and intensive care teams — all working together to treat not just the disease, but the person behind it.”
Dr. Popli echoed the sentiment, saying, “In today’s complex cases, treating just the heart isn’t enough. We focused on the whole patient, body and mind, and that’s what led to his recovery.”
Now discharged and walking again, Saurav continues his dialysis and is under close follow-up. His story serves as a reminder that, with the right team and approach, even the most high-risk patients can receive a second chance at life.
