Jammu, Apr 25 (PTI) In a feat of surgical excellence, doctors here have saved the life of a 47-year-old man who sustained grievous chest injuries in a recent bus accident in Udhampur district, a spokesperson of the Government Medical College said on Saturday.
At least 21 people were killed and 51 others injured when an overcrowded passenger bus plunged nearly 100 metres down a hillside in Ramnagar area of Udhampur district on April 20.
“The victim had suffered a complete disruption of the ‘sternum’ (breastbone), with displacement separating the manubrium (upper part) from the main body of the breast bone. The impact also fractured multiple ribs on both sides of his chest, leading to a life-threatening condition known as flail chest,” the spokesperson said.
The Head of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Department of the super speciality hospital, Dr Shyam Singh said the patient, upon arrival at the hospital, was in a state of shock and unable to maintain oxygen levels.
“The displaced segments of his chest wall were moving paradoxically — sinking in while breathing in and bulging out while breathing out — effectively paralysing his respiratory system. Adding to the complexity, the patient suffered from a pre-existing seizure disorder and had developed haemopneumothorax (a dangerous accumulation of blood and air in the chest cavity),” he said.
He said such trauma patients deteriorate rapidly due to the combination of flail chest and underlying lung contusions.
Despite the insertion of bilateral chest tubes and being placed on a ventilator, the patient’s oxygenation remained unstable. The surgical team decided on an advanced reconstructive procedure to restore the structural integrity of his chest, he said.
Using specialised “titanium plates and screws”, surgeons meticulously fixed the disrupted breastbone and stabilised the fractured ribs, allowing the lungs to expand and contract naturally once again.
Dr Puja Vimesh, Head of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology, said, “His clinical condition, hemodynamic parameters and oxygen levels improved dramatically.” “We were able to successfully wean him off the ventilator post-surgery and he is currently convalescing well in the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Intensive Care Unit,” she added.
A GMC spokesperson said the successful outcome highlights the growing capabilities of the Super Speciality Hospital in handling high-velocity trauma cases that previously carried a very high mortality rate. PTI TAS PRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.