Doctors pull off tough surgery on patient

KOCHI: Surgeons at the Sunrise Hospital in the city performed a unique bowel surgery on a patient with low haemoglobin (Hb) count, without transfusion of blood or blood products during or after the surgery. “The surgery was a real  challenge for the team of doctors,” Deputy Medical Director Dr Cyriac Mathew said.


The hospital had to take such an initiative after the patient Shaji M A and his relatives, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, refused any form of blood and blood product infusion. Blood transfusion is prohibited as per their religious beliefs.


“The patient was brought to the hospital with severe bleeding from the terminal ileum (a part of the small intestine) and a very low Hb count. The only option was to perform surgery and arrest the bleeding,” he said.


Though transfusion of blood was necessary for such an operation, we could not do it because of the peculiar situation. Yet, the surgery had to be done urgently, he said. “It was risky, but we wanted him to have a chance at a normal life. Right hemicolectomy was done under general anaesthesia. We could not even transfuse any blood or blood products in the post-operative period. It was challenging, but turned out to be a success. The patient’s Hb is also increasing day by day,” Dr Mathew said. A team led by senior laparoscopic surgeon Dr R Padmakumar performed the surgery.


 The team included Dr  Madhukar Pai, Dr Sanjeev Thampi, Dr Sreevalsan, Dr Sheetal Binu, Dr Rajeev Jayadevan and Dr Sooraj Y S.