Bengaluru: Covid patient,62, undergoes tricky procedure

BENGALURU: A Covid-19 patient aged 62 underwent a bilateral surgery for removal of kidney stones at a private hospital on Bannerghatta Road. The successful surgery holds significance because operating on Covid-19 patients is thought to be challenging, considering multiple complications. The elderly man went to Fortis Hospital, complaining of unbearable pain in the lower abdomen. He had difficulty urinating and had loose stools for two days. The man also has ischemic heart disease.
He underwent holmium laser lithotripsy, a method to remove stones from the urinary tract. As compared to regular patients, people with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 need more postoperative follow-up checks and comorbidity needs to be dealt with more actively. This is because the mortality rate among Covid-19 patients with comorbidity is higher than for those without pre-existing conditions.
The emergency surgery in the said instance was possible because of specialised OT infrastructure for Covid-19 cases. There is a special corridor to move patients and a separate area for wearing and removing PPE kits at Fortis. A team of Covid-care doctors also monitored his condition.
“Performing a surgery on Covid-19 positive patients is challenging and technically demanding than other operations as there are high chances of transmission of virus to the healthcare workers. Doctors and paramedical staff wore protective gear and followed strict infection prevention protocols. The patient withstood the procedure and was shifted to the Covid ward for treatment,” said Dr Karthik Rao, urologist, Fortis. “The patient gradually improved and was discharged in a stable condition.”