Injury to the heart: Emergency surgery saves boy

MANGALURU: A 15-year-old boy was successfully operated for injuries to the heart at the Indiana Hospital and Heart Institute.
Dr Moosa Kunhi, chief cardiovascular surgeon of the hospital, said that it was a miraculous escape from death for Hudaif from Badiadka in Kasaragod district of Kerala who was rushed to the hospital gasping for breath after he sustained an injury on his chest due to a fall while playing football. He said that the boy was successfully treated by conducting an emergency high risk heart operation.
When he reached the hospital, the boy was restless, confused and with low blood pressure. Heart rate was more than 180 per minute. There was no external injury on the chest but Dr Yusuf Kumble, chief interventional cardiologist, suspected an internal injury and possibly to the heart. His diagnosis was correct and confirmed by emergency echocardiograph, which showed massive amount of blood had collected around the heart inside the pericardial cavity causing comprehension of the heart what is known as ‘cardiac tamponade’ (Emergency lethal condition) which can take away life within minutes if not properly treated, said Dr Kunhi.
An emergency arrangement was made to conduct an open-heart surgery. During the operation, we found a massive amount of blood gushing out of the heart through a tear, almost three centimetres long in the right chamber of the heart. This was causing severe compression on the heart and low blood pressure thereby less blood flow to the brain. It was a terrific situation to see all the blood escaping out of the heart. Bleeding was controlled by stitching the hole in the heart. There was damage to the organs like thymus and lungs too. The operation lasted for four hours, he added.