First in India advanced Potts shunt surgical procedure helps 36-year old woman avoid heart and lung transplant

~ Patient suffered from Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, a rare disease with high mortality from right heart failure that causes sudden death

~ This is the first time in India that the Pott’s shunt procedure was performed using minimally invasive technique

Mumbai, November 7, 2022: Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai added yet another feather to its cap with the first successful Potts shunt surgical procedure in India performed using a minimally invasive approach. The innovative advanced surgery was performed to treat Shikha Girdharwal, a 36-year-old woman with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPHA), a rare lung disorder characterized by high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. Potts shunt is usually performed through open conventional surgery, which involves more procedure risk and longer recovery time. The minimally invasive transcatheter approach is through the femoral artery, the main blood vessel in the thigh. The advanced surgical procedure was carried out by a specialized team led by Dr Prashant Bobhate, Consultant, Children’s Heart Centre.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Artery Hypertension (IPAH) is a rare life-threatening, progressive disease that affects the lungs and heart. The high pressure in the arteries of the lungs eventually leads to progressive right heart failure and the risk of sudden death. Drugs have a limitation as some patients do not respond to medication and require surgical intervention. The only treatment option in such cases is a bilateral lung or heart-lung transplant, which has a very low success rate, is extremely expensive and subject to the timely availability of organs, which is a big challenge.

Despite being on continuous medication for IPAH, the 36-year-old Shikha was experiencing increased pressure in her lungs with significant worsening of her symptoms. She was frequently losing consciousness, extremely fatigued with dizziness and fainting spells and unable to walk even 10 meters. After a thorough evaluation, it was decided to perform the cutting-edge Potts Shunt procedure. The procedure involved putting a stent and creating a direct passage for the blood between the lung artery (left pulmonary artery) and the main body artery (descending aorta) to relieve the pressure in the lungs and on the heart.

Dr. Prashant Bobhate, Consultant, Children’s Heart Centre, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai said, “It is indeed a proud moment for all of us at Kokilaben Hospital to be the first hospital in India to use the Potts Shunt to successfully treat a case of Idiopathic Pulmonary Artery Hypertension. The Potts Shunt is a very risky technique and requires precision during the surgery as even a slight misjudgment in the length of the stent between the left pulmonary artery and the descending aorta can result in bleeding and failure of the procedure. Selection of the case is critical and pre-procedure planning including computerized tomography angiography is performed to evaluate the vessels between which shunt is to be created. Expertise in cardiac anesthesiology is also very important.  The success of this first use of a minimally invasive approach to create a Potts Shunt is a testament to the quality of care at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. The patient has had an uneventful recovery and has been able to return to her normal life.”

Amit Girdharwal, Shikha’s husband expressed his gratitude, “We are grateful to the doctor and the entire team at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for their endless support during the entire treatment, I was gratified to see the quick recovery my wife underwent after the surgery. We truly appreciate the dedication and care the doctors have shown towards Shikha’s treatment. She has now started walking and we are looking forward to the future!”