BHUBANESWAR, SEPT 26
In a remarkable medical feat, a 47-year-old patient from West Bengal was saved from a life-threatening condition after a complex intervention at KIMS Super Specialty Hospital.
The patient, admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) on September 1, 2024, was suffering from severe respiratory distress, accompanied by breathlessness, fever, and persistent cough with phlegm.
Doctors discovered a critical chest infection affecting both lungs, further complicated by the accumulation of pus, fluid, and air around the right lung. Despite initial treatment, including chest drainage to relieve pressure, the patient’s condition deteriorated, leading to dangerously low oxygen levels. The medical team was forced to place him on a ventilator when they detected a rare and life-threatening complication called a broncho-pleural fistula, a connection between the lung’s air cavity and the surrounding pleura.
A team of specialists — 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 employed VV ECMO (veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a cutting-edge procedure used for severe respiratory failure. In a novel approach, one-lung ventilation was performed, isolating the severely compromised right lung and managing the left.
VV ECMO is a life-saving technique frequently used for critical heart and lung conditions, including cardiac arrest and respiratory failure.
“This case demonstrates the resilience of the human spirit and the power of modern medicine,” said Dr. Jena. “Our team’s dedication and innovative treatment strategies made all the difference.”
The patient remained on one-lung ventilation for five intense days, following strict infection control measures and receiving targeted antibiotics. To address the broncho-pleural fistula, the doctors applied an autologous blood patch, injecting 50 ml of the patient’s own blood into the right lung cavity to seal the fistula.
After ten days of intensive care, the patient was successfully weaned off ECMO and the ventilator. Now in recovery, with ongoing nutritional support and physiotherapy, the patient is free of infection and breathing independently.
“I came here with gastric problems, but my condition worsened rapidly. I don’t remember what happened for a week; I wasn’t even aware if I was alive. The doctors gave me a rare treatment, and now I feel much better. I’m incredibly grateful to the team for giving me a second chance at life,” the patient said.
