Series of surgeries by SVIMS pull boy from brink of death

Tirupati: A team of doctors at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) has made a 7-year-old boy to smile after he was met with an accident recently there by taking acute care to global level, says the Director and Vice-Chancellor Dr TS Ravikumar.

He was one of the survivors of the tragic four-wheeler accident happened on May 20 near Mamandur in Renigunta involving ten victims. Initially, he was mobilised to Ruia Hospital along with co-passengers for initial stabilisation. In view of multiple life-threatening injuries, the sickest of all victims, the boy was shifted to SVIMS emergency unit for tertiary care subsequently. 

After investigations, an immediate assessment was done by a team of emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, neuro surgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons and anesthesiologists. Orthopedicians from BIRRD Hospital were called in.

He was intubated and kept on mechanical ventilator. Blood was transfused immediately in view of severe blood loss. A multidisciplinary intervention was immediately planned with the active on site direct intervention of Dr TS Ravikumar. 

“The boy was in critical state, with massive complex head injury, spinal cord injury, lung contusions and comminuted fractures on left thigh. While the expected overall outcome was not good, yet we decided to summon all resources and put the best expertise together,” opined Dr Ravikumar.

Immediately, the child was planned for a combined lifesaving neurosurgical procedure for head injury and orthopedic intervention for femur fracture in the same sitting was planned.

Neurosurgical team of doctors, under the leadership of Prof and Head Dr BCM Prasad and his team have completed the neurosurgical procedure and orthopedic team of doctors fixed the fracture of thigh bone. After two days, the ventilator was disconnected in a step-by-step manner by the team of anesthesiologists and Tanish started breathing on his own.

There were no post-operative complications. After seven days, the boy started taking normal food. When he was discharged on 14th day on June 2, Tanish was talking normally, smiling and waving good bye, which left a great sense of accomplishment and fulfillment for the entire team, who worked tirelessly. His grandparents broke into tears when the child was talking and smiling again.

SVIMS attributed this success to introduction of innovative concept of trauma team, initiated with the triage system two years ago, and integrated team development on par with Level I trauma centres in developed countries.  

There various medical specialists from different departments coordinated the treatment of a patient for all life-threatening injuries simultaneously with in the golden period, according to the Director Dr Ravikumar. SVIMS team has wished Tanish all the best while discharging.