Kolkata docs help elderly man walk pain-free within a day with timely procedure

In a major step forward in advanced vascular care Kolkata doctors have successfully helped give a new lease of life to an elderly man walk againDr Ranjan Kr Sharma who is the senior consultant Cardiology at Manipal Hospital Salt Lake performed advanced atherectomyassisted procedure for Peripheral Artery Disease PAD in Kolkata The minimally invasive treatment was carried out on a 75yearold patient suffering from both heart and leg artery blockages enabling him to recover quickly and return to his normal routine within just 24 hoursThe patient had undergone angioplasty 11 years ago during which two stents were placed in critical heart arteries the Left Anterior Descending LAD artery and the Right Coronary Artery RCA Recently he began experiencing shortness of breath and severe pain in his left leg while walking a classic symptom of PAD known as claudication refers to Peripheral Artery Disease a condition where arteries that supply blood to the legs become narrowed or blocked usually due to atherosclerosis fatty plaque buildupA fresh angiography revealed that while the earlier stents were functioning well a new blockage had developed in the right coronary artery beyond the previous stent More concerning were two severe blockages 70ndash80 per cent and 90 per cent one heavily calcified in the left superficial femoral artery the main artery supplying blood to the leg The cardiac team at the hospital first performed a routine coronary angioplasty to restore blood flow to the heart However treating leg artery required a more advanced approachUnlike heart arteries leg arteries are exposed to external pressure from daily activities such as sitting and bending making longterm stenting less reliable To overcome this challenge doctors used a stateoftheart atherectomy device for the first time at the facility The device works with a highspeed drilllike rotating tip that carefully shaves off hardened cholesterol and calcium deposits from inside the artery A builtin suction system simultaneously removes debris preventing it from travelling to smaller vessels This prepares the artery for safer balloon treatment and significantly reduces the need for permanent stentsExplaining the procedure Dr Ranjan Kr Sharma said ldquoIn patients with severe calcium buildup in the arteries inflating a balloon alone can damage the vessel and may force us to place a stent Atherectomy helps by safely removing the hardened plaque first making the treatment safer reducing complications avoiding unnecessary stenting and ensuring better longterm outcomes Earlier recurrence rates were around 15ndash2037 but with this advanced technology they can drop to less than 2ndash337 With lifestylerelated diseases on the rise Peripheral Artery Disease PAD is becoming increasingly common PAD is more frequently seen in people with diabetes high blood pressure high cholesterol and a history of smoking and studies show that nearly 2037 of patients with coronary artery disease may also develop it Since symptoms are often mistaken for nerve pain diagnosis is delayed and in severe cases the disease can progress to limb discoloration or even gangrene Early diagnosis and advanced treatments like atherectomy can prevent major complications and significantly improve quality of liferdquoThe additional step takes just 15ndash20 minutes and is minimally invasive The patient was monitored for 24 hours due to the small groin puncture used to access the artery and was discharged the next day He was advised to resume normal activities almost immediately Expressing his relief the 75yearold patient Nabin Das name changed shared ldquoWalking had become painful and stressful I was worried about losing my mobility After the procedure I feel comfortable and confident again I am thankful to the doctors for giving me back my active life so quicklyrdquo