Bandra: Teen given second chance at life after rare heart surgery

Today marks a month since 16yearold Kshitij Velankar an SSC student was wheeled out of a Mumbai hospital after undergoing a lifesaving surgery for two rare and lifethreatening heart conditionsmdashseen in only one in 50000 people Thanks to a consulting cardiologist at Holy Family Hospital in Bandra West Kshitij was not only accurately diagnosed but his entire surgery and hospital staymdashapproximately Rs 3 lakhmdashwas provided free of cost by the hospital When his father an autorickshaw driver and mother a homemaker expressed their inability to cover the approximately Rs 3 lakh treatment cost the hospital and the cardiologist stepped in to help arrange fundsKshitij playing cricket with his friendsSpeaking with midday from his hometown in Hareni village Dapoli Kshitijmdashawaiting his SSC results from ND Gole High Schoolmdashis optimistic about securing a distinction His dream is to become an engineer and support his parents financially ldquoI used to suddenly black out especially when I overexerted while playing or got too excited Within seconds Irsquod return to normal But after the surgery I havenrsquot had any episodes I feel completely fine now Irsquom very thankful to Dr Yash Lokhandwala who treated me and gave me a new liferdquo said KshitijldquoAfter the surgery Kshitij has started playing cricket again and even watches televisionrdquo his father Chandrasekhar Velankar said ldquoHowever the doctor has advised us to closely monitor him for the first few months and ensure he stays regular with his followup treatmentsrdquoA hidden dangerAlthough his parentsmdashChandrasekhar 50 and Sampada 42mdashknew he had a heart issue they were unaware of the conditionrsquos severity until they were referred to Dr Lokhandwala by a cardiologist in Dervan ChiplunKshitij with his family after the surgery PICSBY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTThat doctor had realised the casersquos complexity and advised against medicating Kshitij without further evaluation especially at such a young age Chandrasekhar who earns a modest living driving an autorickshaw in their village said ldquoWe had no idea it was this serious Wersquore just grateful the doctors took the case seriously and acted in timerdquoLife on the lineDr Lokhandwala consulting cardiologist at Holy Family Hospital diagnosed Kshitij with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia CPVT and sinus bradycardia with isorhythmic AV dissociationmdasha rare and dangerous combination of fast and slow heart rhythms that left him at constant risk of sudden cardiac arrest ldquoThis condition is extremely rare seen in just one out of 50000 peoplerdquo Dr Lokhandwala explainedEmergency interventionKshitij was admitted in late March and on March 25 doctors implanted a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat and started him on propranolol However Holter ECG monitoring still showed abnormal rhythmsA graphic explaining Kshitijrsquos heart conditionOn March 31 renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Suresh Joshi performed a bilateral sympathectomymdasha nerveblocking surgerymdashto prevent future arrhythmias The procedure was successful and Kshitij began to recover rapidly Kshitij was soon discharged and continues his recovery at home under local cardiologists who remain in close contact with the Holy Family Hospital teamFunding treatmentldquoKshitij is our only child and I had to borrow Rs 60000 for his treatment in Mumbai I am the sole earning member of our family of three and on average I earn between Rs 400 to Rs 500 per day The auto I drive is on loan for which I pay an EMI of Rs 3500 As of now I am in debt of over R60000 and have assured the lenders including relatives that I will repay them as and when I am able tordquo Chandrasekhar saidThe pacemaker implanted in Kshitijrsquos chestMeanwhile the cost of diagnostics the pacemaker implantation and surgery was completely borne by Holy Family Hospital while the doctorrsquos fees and other charges were waived off ldquoThe hospital tries its best to help everyone in need Thatrsquos its mottordquo said Dr LokhandwalaFollowup treatmentRegarding followup treatment Chandrasekhar said ldquoThe hospital is in Devran located in Chiplun about 100 km from our village Hareni I prefer to travel by my autorickshaw and the trip costs me around R1700 and I also lose my income for the day Our Kshitij is doing well and we will manage everything Irsquom confident that I will repay and clear all my debtsrdquo Dr Lokhandwala said the team from Holy Family Hospital is coordinating with local cardiologists near Kshitijrsquos village where he is receiving postoperative care ldquoHoly Family is not charging anything for thisrdquo he saidGenetic report confirms fearsDr Lokhandwala confirmed that the boyrsquos genetic report which arrived on Saturday supports the initial clinical findings of Kshitij suffering from CPVT and sinus bradycardia with isorhythmic AV dissociationatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params