Woman (41) with rare artery disorder treated at Gurgaon hospital

GURGAON: A 41-year-old woman suffering from a subclavian aneurysm, a rare condition affecting less than 1% of the population, was treated at a private hospital in the city. The condition leads to weakness or bulging in the wall of the subclavian artery, located below the collarbone, and can be life-threatening if ruptured.
Doctors at the Manipal Hospitals performed a minimally invasive endovascular procedure - percutaneous stenting - to restore blood flow in the artery clogged due to the disease. Blood clots caused by aneurysms can potentially lead to stroke or loss of fingers, the hand or, in rare cases, the entire arm, they said.
According to the experts, the woman had no previous condition and started experiencing complications eight months back. Initially, she was advised to undergo open-heart surgery. When she came to Manipal Hospitals for consultation, doctors opted for an endovascular procedure.
On February 7, Dr (Col) Monik Mehta, the chief of cardiology, and Dr Shaloo Bhasin Gagneja, a consultant rheumatologist, performed the procedure by putting a stent and blocking the aneurysm.
"If not treated in time, the aneurysm could have punctured and that would be fatal. The disease can occur in any part of the body. In this case, the procedure was complicated as the subclavian artery is a critical area," Dr Mehta said. The patient has been discharged after complete recovery, he said.