Greater Noida, Mar 17th: There was a time when breathlessness was her everyday reality. Concerns about the future weighed far heavier than her age. But today, the life of a 24-year-old woman from Delhi has taken a new direction. Her journey stands as a testament to resilience, patience, and hope.
A Serious Condition: According to Dr. Viresh Mahajan, Chairman- Cardiac Sciences, at Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Greater Noida (Omega 1), “Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension is a serious condition commonly encountered in patients with heart defects , autoimmune disease , lung diseases etc . The condition is more common in women than men. If left untreated, it can have severe consequences in terms of exercise intolerance , right heart failure and even sudden deaths . Currently, the standard treatment available for PAH is limited to medications. This successful intervention has not only brought new light into one patient’s life but also offers hope to many families battling this disease for years. The condition known as Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) had become a lasting part of her life.”
A Struggle That Began in Childhood: In 2008, during her childhood, she underwent heart surgery due to a cardiac condition. However, because of the delay in surgery her lung pressures persisted to remain high . For the past 17 years, she has remained under continuous medical treatment and follow-up. While medications helped keep the condition under control, she was never able to feel completely normal. Simple activities like brisk walking caused breathlessness; minor exertion led to fatigue. Uncertainty about the future especially concerning marriage and motherhood remained a constant concern for the parents .
A Long-Term Medical Commitment: Dr. Viresh Mahajan added, “Over these 17 years, we have seen her grow, cope, and fight. Our goal was not just treatment, but to pave the way for a safe and normal future for her. As improvement remained limited despite prolonged medication, the medical team decided to adopt an advanced interventional approach.”
On February 12, a successful procedure was performed at the hospital by a team led by Dr. Viresh Mahajan, Chairman- Cardiac Sciences for Yatharth Super Speciality Group of Hospitals and Dr. S. Guruprasad from Chennai. The entire pediatric cardiology and electrophysiology team included Dr Binay Pandey , Dr Amit Kumar , Dr Nupur Goel and Dr Dinkar . The non-surgical interventional cardiac catheter lab treatment lasted approximately three hours and did not require open surgery.
First-of-Its-Kind Advanced Treatment in North India: The treatment involved a modern cath lab technique known as Pulmonary Artery Nerve Denervation (PAND). In this procedure, a thin catheter is guided to the pulmonary arteries without any surgical incision. Using 3D mapping and radiofrequency energy, the overactive nerves surrounding the pulmonary arteries are selectively targeted to help reduce elevated lung pressure.
As it is not an open surgery, the risk of complications is considered to be less than 1%. The primary objective is to make medications more effective and enhance the patient’s functional capacity and overall quality of life.
Post-procedure, her condition is stable, and a positive reduction in pulmonary pressure has been recorded. Specialists believe this will enhance the effectiveness of medications and significantly improve her quality of life.
A Safer Tomorrow: For the young woman and her family, this was not merely a medical procedure but also raised hope of relief from the complications of the disease .
Dr. Ved Prakash , Director of Cardiac surgery , Yatharth Super Speciality Hospitals, Greater Noida (Omeg-1) added , “This procedure has already shown encouraging results when performed surgically but this novel non-surgical approach is an important step toward reducing pulmonary artery pressures in patients with Pulmonary artery hypertension “.
