A 23-year old man with a rare heart disease since childhood is now recovering after being treated for it at a Kolkata city hospital.

The 23-year old man from a small village Bahadurpur in Bihar, had a heart disease diagnosed when he was four years old. He used to get tired easily and his lips and fingers appeared blue. Doctors told the family that the situation demanded surgery. However, due to financial constraints, the surgery could not be done at that point of time.

Seeing his condition slowly deteriorating over 17 years as he got breathless even on walking for a short distance or climbing a few stairs, the family took him to a local government hospital in Bihar for treatment. On consultation he was referred to a cardiologist in Kolkata.

Now, after getting treated for a rare birth related blue heart disease without a surgery at a city-based private hospital, the man can walk comfortably and enjoy life as much as he can, which he could not do it in the past 22 years of his life. Once, a person, who could not even walk 100 meters but only panted, has got a new lease of life.

Cut to the past in Kolkata hospital. Dr. Rana Rathor Roy, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Medica Superspecialty Hospital diagnosed that the man was significantly blue. For diagnosis and necessary treatment, Dr. Rana further referred him to Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi, Senior Consultant Interventional Paediatric Cardiologist, Medica Superspecialty Hospital.

'The man weighed less than 35 kg. The oxygen saturation was only 58 per cent in the patient, whereas it is around 98 per cent to 100 per cent among normal people. His height was 4.9 feet, which is less than a normal 23-year-old person, due to his long-standing heart disease,' said by Dr. Anil Kumar Singhi.

The Chest X-Ray of the man revealed that his heart was positioned on the right side of the chest. The Echocardiogram revealed large left-sided heart chambers but without any hole between two big chambers or ventricles, as diagnosed outside. A bubble contrast test highlighted an abnormal connection between left-sided lung arteries, which carries impure blood, to left-sided atrium-the chamber having pure blood.

Ultimately, the computed tomographic angiogram (CT Pulmonary angiogram) was done to outline the defect and a very large and dilated abnormal birth related connection between left lung arteries to left-sided atrium was confirmed. The narrowest point of the abnormal connection was huge, around one inch in diameter, larger than the size of the main big artery of the body. The impure blood was being mixed with the pure blood causing bluish discoloration (Cyanosis) of fingers, nails, and lips.

'The treatment options were challenging. Non-surgical closure by placing a device through a vein in the leg was discussed to reduce risk. These types of devices are very soft, durable, and non-corrosive. As the size required was very large, it had to be ordered,' explained Dr. Singhi.