Heart stopped for nearly 90 minutes: AIIMS Bhubaneswar Doctors Save Army Soldier's Life with eCPR

Bhubaneswar: In a remarkable achievement, a team of experts at AIIMS Bhubaneswar successfully saved the life of a 24-year-old army jawan using the Extracorporeal Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (eCPR) procedure after his heart had stopped beating for almost 90 minutes.

The life-saving intervention, known as Extracorporeal Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (eCPR) procedure, helped revive the young man even after his heart had stopped beating for nearly 1.5 hours, Dr Ashutosh Biswas of AIIMS Bhubaneswar told reporters.

According to the PTI report, the patient, identified as Subhakant Sahu, having no past record of cardiac ailments, came to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition on October 1.

Shortly after his arrival, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite 40 minutes of conventional CPR, there was no cardiac activity. The team faced a critical decision - whether to declare him dead or attempt a cutting-edge procedure.

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Biswas said the medical team eventually decided to proceed with eCPR.

Led by Dr Srikant Behera, Intensivist and Adult ECMO specialist, the team initiated Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), following which the patient's heart began to beat again after around 90 minutes, though with an irregular rhythm.

"Over the next 30 hours, the heart function improved significantly, and the patient was successfully weaned off ECMO after 96 hours," Biswas said.

"ECMO is an extracorporeal technique of providing cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. It can support and perform the functions of the lungs and the heart, individually and together," Behera explained.

The eCPR, while technically challenging, represents a promising advancement in the treatment of cardiac arrests traditionally deemed fatal, he said.

"This success marks a milestone in Odisha's medical history," Behera added.

Though awareness and usage of ECPR are increasing around the world and significant advancements have taken place, it was the first such case in Odisha, doctors said.

The patient is fully conscious, and his blood pressure and oxygen saturation are within the normal range, they said.

Sahu's mother Minati expressed gratitude to the doctors for saving his life.

"I cannot thank AIIMS Bhubaneswar and the treating doctors enough for giving my son a second chance in life," she said.

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