Doctors at Medicover Hospitals in Hyderabad performed a critical and rare cardiac procedure called Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) on a 20-year-old with aortic dissection and Marfan Syndrome, an inherited disorder that affects the connective tissue.

The procedure was conducted on a male student from Nagpur by Dr Pramod Reddy, cardiovascular thoracic surgeon, and cardiac team led by Dr. Sharath Reddy at Medicover Hosiptals, by replacing half of the aorta from the aortic root by using new technique called FET. According to Dr Pramod Reddy, chief cardiothoracic and aortic surgeon, aortic dissection is a medical emergency in which the inner layer of the large blood vessel branching off the heart (aorta) tears and the patient presents with severe chest or upper back pain that radiates to the neck or down the back, loss of consciousness and shortness of breath.

Aortic dissection is relatively uncommon. The condition most frequently occurs in men in their 60s and 70s. Dr Sharath Reddy, interventional cardiologist helped in placing guide wire to identify true lumen under Fluoroscopy and IVUS imaging, which is very important step to place the stent graft in correct position. Dr Pramod further explained that the patient is required be cooling the patient's body to a temperature of around 18-20 degrees and stopping blood circulation to the entire body except the brain for a period of 45 minutes.

The patient is now recovering and would soon be leading a normal life. The doctor said mortality rate in such cases is 30-40%. There is also a chance of a stroke. Dr Sharath Reddy explained that in aortic dissection therapies this is considered most complex surgery with poor outcomes and every day delay in diagnosis increases mortality by 10 %. "Very few centres across the globe perform this surgery. Usually this hybrid procedure is done in a two-stage process, but we were able to successfully manage the whole procedure in a single stage which is done by using special tube with stent. Frozen elephant trunk technique reduces the necessity for subsequent additional operations and therefore may improve long-term survival," he said.

Marfan syndrome is an inherited disease that affects the body's connective tissue, which gives strength, support, and elasticity to tendons, cartilage, heart valves, blood vessels, and other vital parts of the body. In people who have Marfan syndrome, connective tissue lacks strength because of its unusual chemical makeup. The syndrome affects the bones, eyes, skin, lungs, and nervous system, along with the heart and blood vessels.