KARACHI: Doctors at a government sector hospital on Friday saved the life of a patient through endovascular aortic aneurysm repair procedure which, officials said, was performed at a public sector hospital for the first time in the country’s history.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is a procedure used to treat an aneurysm (abnormal enlargement) of the abdominal aorta. Repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm may be performed surgically through an open incision or in a minimally-invasive procedure called endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Officials said head of vascular surgery Dr Fahad Tariq and intervention radiologist Dr Irfan Lutfi along with their team performed the procedure at Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre.

They added Dubai-based German specialist Dr Ayman al-Sibaie supervised the entire procedure. The team was joined by the professor of surgery and chairperson of the trauma centre, Dr Saeed Quraishi.

The senior faculty of Dow University of Health Sciences, surgeons of the Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, and students were there to witness the live case of EVAR treatment on screens.

Dr Quraishi later said abdominal aorta was enlargement of the aneurysm just like a balloon, which if ruptured, could be life-threatening.

“This procedure is adopted to avoid possible difficulties in operating on the abdomen,” he added.

Dr Quraishi said endovascular aortic aneurysm repair procedure (EVAR) cost more than Rs1 million. However, the procedure was performed at the SMBB Trauma Centre free of cost.

In this procedure, he added, a stent graft was inserted into the aneurysm.

He appreciated the team that performed the procedure and said similar efforts would continue for the betterment of patient care at the trauma centre and advanced equipment and technologies would be provided for their treatment.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2018