Delhi doctors cure torn aorta, leaking valve and kidney tumour in single surgery

Doctors at Fortis Escorts Hospital in New Delhi have treated a 64-year-old man for a torn aorta, a severely leaking aortic valve and kidney cancer in a single hospital stay. The team said it is the first such combined procedure reported in available medical literature.

The patient, Md Khalid Hussain, came in with severe breathlessness and fatigue. Scans revealed a dangerous tear in the aorta and a leaking valve. A CT scan then detected a cancerous tumour in his left kidney. Dr Pankaj Panwar, additional director of urology, said the tumour was localised, making a combined treatment possible.

Surgeons first replaced the valve and repaired the aorta using a frozen elephant trunk graft. After the heart stabilised, a robot-assisted partial nephrectomy removed the tumour. The procedure cost around Rs 24 lakh, with devices alone accounting for Rs 12.5 lakh. Dr Shiv Kumar Choudhary, executive director of adult cardio thoracic surgery, called it a rare medical feat. The patient is recovering well.