Mumbai: Malad resident beats all odds after spending 80 days in ICU

Jigna Gada at Bangalore-based Narayana Hrudayalaya

A 45-year-old woman, who was battling thrombosis complications, overcame all odds, emerging from the ICU after 80 days in late November. Jigna Gada, who resides near NL College at Malad West, told mid-day, "Around four years ago when I was practising for a dance programme, I found it difficult to breathe. This was the first time something like this had happened so I informed a cardiac doctor. The doctor also prescribed medication and an inhaler but the problem persisted. After three months again, I consulted another doctor. The doctor diagnosed it as chronic thrombotic pulmonary hypertension."

Thrombosis occurs when blood clots block veins or arteries. Symptoms include pain and swelling in one leg, chest pain, or numbness on one side of the body. Complications of thrombosis can be life-threatening and lead to stroke. Jigna's husband Vinod said, "My wife had blood clots in her lungs, which affected her breathing. The doctor told us there was no guarantee that after taking medicine the clot would get diluted or disappear or that her breathing problem would be resolved."

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He added, "We consulted other doctors and they told us surgery to remove the blood clots was challenging and life-threatening." According to doctors, in Jigna's case, chances of survival were low. Though doctors were reluctant to carry out the procedure, Jigna's family said they will willing to risk it.

Jigna, whose health had started declining , said, "I am active and I can't sit still at home. With the breathing issues my haemoglobin also started decreasing. I was feeling tired and had also bleeding continuously because of menopause. A gynaecologist advised me to undergo a hysterectomy, but no surgeon was ready to do it because I was taking many medicines for the clots in my lungs. I was taking medicines for my lungs and menopause.."

A few months ago, a relative recommended a Bengaluru-based multi-speciality hospital Narayana Hrudayalaya. The couple had, in fact, gone there four months earlier, but had opted not to get admitted. Jigna said, "My case was discussed by doctors at the hospital and they opted not to do surgery because I was a high-risk patient."

Vinod said, "We met cardiac surgeon Dr Varun Shetty at the hospital and he was ready to perform the procedure. He told us to trust in God. Dr Shetty told us Jigna would walk out of the hospital the same way that she walked in. This made us happy." Jigna said, "On September 5 got admitted. We also met doctor Varun Shetty's father Devi Shetty, a senior surgeon. There was the risk of experiencing organ failure due to the operation, but he gave us strength." The doctors decided to do the surgery on September 8.

During the surgery, the doctors removed around 70 per cent of the blood clots from her lungs, opting not to risk damaging her lungs. However, after the ten-hour operation, Jigna's heart had to be removed and put back twice. The organ was kept at a minus 17 degrees Celsius temperature and was connected with her lungs with special vaccum pumps.

According to Jigna, the clots were removed via a pipe inserted into her neck. However, her lungs also started bleeding profusely. This was remedied to some extent by changing her sleeping position and administering blood transfusions. After two to three days, though her condition had improved, blood started coming out from the pipe again. Doctors then started giving blood plasma and healing veins. A total of 100 bottles of blood and 75 units of plasma were given to Jigna in the ICU.

Asked how he coped with this harrowing situation, Vinod explained, "I have 100 per cent trust in God and His will, but seeing blood flowing through the neck pipe was horrible. Doctors also told me that Jigna would survive only one or two hours maximum and her heart would stop. She was unconscious at all times. Her heart was functioning and I had hope. It was a miracle that the bleeding stopped and her heart began to stabilise."

Due to Jigna's cardiac issues, the doctor fixed an Acme machine, which functioned as a heart, to her leg. Generally, patients do not survive for more than 4-6 days on this machine, but Jigna pulled through despite using it for 60 days. Before surgery, she weighed 71kg but after the procedure, her weight touched 45 while a personal nurse and 24-hour team of specialists worked on her case round the clock.

Speaking about the financial aspect of the ordeal, Vinod said, "On day one, we deposited Rs 25 lakh but after so many complications, the hospital management didn't ask for a single rupee more. Nor did they ask me to arrange for the money. I was considering approaching relatives and taking loans from relatives if expenses went up." In Late November, Jigna was deemed fit enough to go home. She said, "The doctors gave me a discharge after my heart started functioning smoothly. Doctor Shetty told me that I was an Acme Champion and sent me home, fulfilling his promise."

At the time of discharge, the hospital management presented Vinod with a 158-page bill of Rs 1.50 crore. But the document also mentioned there was a Rs 1.23 crore discount. Vinod only had to pay Rs 2 lakh as he had paid a Rs 25 lakh deposit. A grateful Vinod said, "This was unbelievable. There were many complications but this was a miracle. I found God in the doctors and they saved my wife's life."

On November 27, Jigna returned home and she is hale and hearty. She is getting leg massages and undergoing physiotherapy for her legs, which were impacted by the Acme machine. She is also doing follow-up check-ups at the Bengaluru hospital.

Doctor speak

Speaking with mid-day, Dr Karan Shekhar, the cardiac surgeon who treated Jigna said, "This was a big challenge because she had been suffering from the disease for a long time and there were 90 per cent clots in her lungs. It was a difficult surgery to remove all these clots without damaging the lungs. This is a successful, historical mission."

Post-surgery issues

Dr Shekhar said, "It was expected that the lungs would fail after surgery because they hadn't been functioning well for many years. She bleed twice and her heart stopped twice, which was shocking."

A miracles

The cardiac surgeon added, "We can say this case was a miracle. Our team thought that she would survive maximum for 2-3 hours maximum and we later assumed that she would be alive for 5-6 hours, and after that for 1 to 2 days; but automatically, her body recovered and her health started improving. We told her to come for a follow-up after six weeks. We thought Jigna would come on a bed but she is walking and this is a miracle for us."

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Day in September when surgery took place