Doctors perform complex, rare heart surgery on man with dwarfism

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) In a remarkable medical achievement, doctors have successfully performed a complex and rare aortic valve replacement surgery on a 39-year-old patient with achondroplasia – the most common type of dwarfism.

Kapil Gala, born with achondroplasia, had already undergone eight surgeries to correct leg deformities and was living independently while managing a career in finance.

However, a sudden onset of paraplegia — leg paralysis — last year threatened his mobility and independence.

When Gala was admitted to Jaslok Hospital, he was initially scheduled for spinal surgery but was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis — a type of heart valve disease — during pre-operative assessments.

His bicuspid aortic valve — a type of abnormality in the aortic valve in the heart — required urgent intervention before any spinal procedure could be performed.

A team of doctors from Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre in Mumbai decided on an open-heart surgery.

They noted that implanting a mechanical valve was the safest option due to anatomical and procedural constraints.

“Our main concern was ensuring the patient’s safety and long-term health. Given the challenges, open-heart surgery was the optimal choice,” said Nihar Mehta, Associate Director of the Structural Heart Department at Jaslok Hospital.

Kapil’s swift recovery was impressive; he was off life support within 12 hours and is doing well now, according to the doctors. Expressing his gratitude, stating, Kapil thanked the doctors for giving him a new lease of life.

–IANS

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