Ranchi: Doctors at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) performed a complex six-hour surgery on a 55-year-old woman from Palamu who had been suffering from a life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm for nearly six months.The procedure, claimed to be the first of its kind in Jharkhand, was carried out on Oct 30. After 13 days of post-operative care, the patient is scheduled to be discharged today.The patient, Savita Devi (name changed upon request) had visited the OPD of a private hospital in Ranchi about four months ago with complaints of increasing abdominal swelling and severe pain. She was later referred to RIMS.Dr Anshul Kumar, associate professor of cardiac surgery at RIMS, said the patient was diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, in which the abdominal aorta becomes abnormally enlarged and affects blood supply to the lower body.Doctors said a 10–12 cm segment of the abdominal aorta was enlarged and hardened due to calcium deposits. The disease had also affected major blood vessels supplying both legs.The surgical team replaced the diseased portion with an artificial blood vessel with two branches to restore circulation. Kumar said the patient is doing well.The surgery was performed by Kumar under the guidance of Dr Sheel Avneesh, professor, Department of Cardiac Surgery, IGIMS, Patna.
