A case of a rarest cardio-vascular disorder, called the widower’s disease, was identified recently, and a patient suffering from the ailment was saved by the most unconventional surgery, first of the kind in India.
A Thane resident, Ronnie Almeida (55) was diagnosed with widower’s disease, wherein the mouth of the left main artery had a blockage of almost 95 per cent. Dr Vijay Surase, intervention cardiologist, who operated upon the patient said, “Widower’s disease is a lethal block at the mouth of the heart’s most vital coronary artery, which is responsible for efficient functioning of heart. Mr Almeida experienced severe heaviness in his chest.” Mr Almeida was adamant that he did not want to go through a bypass surgery or an angioplasty from the groin. He insisted on undergoing radial angioplasty that is done through the wrist. Radial angioplasty is commonly done through the right hand wrist.
Dr Surase performed Mr Alemida’s coronary angiography and angioplasty through the left hand wrist. The block was opened under local anaesthesia and the artery was stented (procedure performed to improve blood flow in the body’s arteries and veins) through the same radial artery route.
“In cases like these, about five in 1,000 patients stand a chance, time is the most important factor. The procedure lasted for about 20 minutes, and the patient was on his feet the very same day. The disease is very difficult to diagnose because it barely shows cardiac symptoms. Patients develop symptoms like toothache, pain in throat mouth and chin.”