Despite the health care crisis due to the prevailing Novel Coronavirus pandemic, effective treatment is needed to save precious lives. Recently an engineer from Sulur got his life saved by the effective treatment of team of doctors from PSG Super Speciality Hospitals and blood donated by one of his treating doctors.
Gopalakrishna Murthy, a 57-year old engineer hailing from Sulur developed blood vomiting and blood in his motions on June 17, 2020. He developed giddiness and low blood pressure due to massive bleeding and was rushed to PSG Hospitals. When he was received in the emergency department, he had very low blood pressure.
Due to corona crisis, blood donors were scarce and volunteers including the doctor in charge of emergency Dr.Karthik donated blood which was transfused. 8 units of blood products were given and he needed ventilator and medical support to maintain his blood pressure. Emergency endoscopy showed blood in his stomach and intestines and CT scan revealed bleeding from a tumor in the starting part of the small intestine.
As his condition would not withstand an emergency surgery, emergency angiography and angio embolization and coiling of the bleeding blood vessel was done in the middle of night and his bleeding fully stopped.
He improved and was shifted out of ICU after 1 day. He underwent a laparoscopic surgery for removal of the tumor from the region of Duodeno jejunal flexure with duodeno jejunosotomy for restoration of intestinal continuity. Performance of the keyhole surgery for this technically difficult operation ensured that the patient had a quick recovery. He was able to walk and take oral liquids from the next day and went home after full recovery on the fifth day (June 27, 2020).
Effective treatment received by the patient right from the time of arrival of patient in shock to the emergency department, timely blood transfusion after donation by volunteers including his treating doctor, emergency angiography and coiling to block the bleeding vessel by interventional radiology team in the middle of night, accurate diagnosis and treatment by the medical gastroenterology and ICU team, key hole surgery for a tumor located in a difficult location were very crucial in his effective recovery.
The hospital said that it is very happy that despite the COVID 19 pandemic crisis, the team of Doctors including Dr.Karthik (EMD), Professor Dr.L Venkatakrishanan , Dr.Prudhvi (Medical Gastroenterology), Dr.Kapil, Dr.Karthikeyan, Dr.Vinoth (ICU), Dr.Ilango and Dr Maheshwaran ( interventional radiology), Dr. K Balu and Dr.R.Karthigeyan (surgical gastroenterology and advanced laparoscopy) were able to save a precious life with the state of art multidisciplinary treatment. Patients with intestinal bleeding can be saved with such effective treatment. The hospital continues to offer routine and emergency treatment for all patients across all specialties. COVID-19 patients receive treatment in a separate hospital block of PSG Hospitals.
Regarding this timely intervention, Dr.J.S.Bhuvaneswaran, Director, PSG Super Speciality Hospitals said “when a patient comes in a critical situation with multiple problems, the need for more than one doctor’s care becomes a must. In this specific patient’s case, in just under 2 hours, 6 major speciality doctors joined together, held a discussion to save this patient and acted swift.
When he was brought to the emergency, the emergency doctors promptly intimated the concerned doctors who would need to take care of the multiple health complexities of this patient. The team effort of multiple higher specialty doctors has saved this patient and I find it incredible.