Cardiothoracic surgeons of Tirunelveli GH save boy whose right ventricle got penetrated by scissors

A cardiothoracic surgical procedure performed by the doctors of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TVMCH) has saved the life of an 11-year-old boy, whose right ventricle of the heart got pierced by scissors.

S. Sterlin Grace Danison of Alangulam in Tenkasi district was playing with scissors in his house on Republic Day on January 26 around 10.30 a.m. as he was enjoying the holiday. He accidentally pierce his chest with the scissors, entered the right ventricle of the heart. His parents rushed the profusely bleeding boy to a nearby hospital, where first-aid was given. The doctors there advised them to rush their son to TVMCH.

 As the boy was being brought to TVMCH, Dean Revathi Balan was alerted about the boy being brought to the hospital in a critical condition. Even before the ambulance entered the hospital, Dr. Revathi had a team of doctors, nurses and the operation theatre ready.

 Once he was shifted to TAEI (Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative) ward from the ambulance at 12.30 p.m., Danison was stabilised at the emergency medical care and shifted immediately to the operation theatre, where cardiothoracic surgeon and Head, Department of Cardiology, TVMCH, R. Sanjeev Pandian, anaesthetists N. Kavitha, Maharajan and Amutha Rani and nurse V. Mahalakshmi were waiting for the patient.

 The surgery that began at 1 p.m. lasted for about five hours and successfully repaired the damaged right ventricle and stabilised the badly fluctuating heart beat. “After an uneventful recovery, the boy was discharged from the hospital on the 15^th day,” said Dr. Revathi.

 The highlight of this critical procedure was that TVMCH surgeons and anaesthetists were waiting in the operation theatre with blood components just for the arrival of the critically injured patient after getting information from the Dean. The badly injured and profusely bleeding Danison was shifted to the operation theatre within 10 minutes of his arrival.

 “The swift action by our doctors and their surgical skills actually saved the boy,” she said.

 In another case, the doctors of Department of Gastroenterology of the hospital saved a neuro surgery postgraduate student from Odisha, who was admitted for acute pancreatitis. As the patient developed post pancreatitis abscess, it was drained by endoscopic ultrasound and stenting was also done subsequently, which would have cost the patient ₹5 lakh in a private hospital.

 “The procedure lasted for just 10 minutes. The patient is now stable and is able to do his routine work,” Dr. Revathi said.