A 63-year-old woman recently sought treatment at Alchemist Hospital under Dr Vishal Sharma Senior Consultant Pulmonary Medicine due to escalating breathing difficulties and loss of speech.
Bronchoscopic
procedure was done by Dr Vishal Sharma and it was found that her wind pipe (trachea)
was 95% blocked and lead to her current serious situation.
Stenotic Trachea before Balloon Bronchoplasty |
Dilated Trachea after Balloon Bronchoplasty |
She had a
history of prolonged intubation due to Pneumonia which probably led to critical
narrowing of her trachea (tracheal stenosis) as observed during the
Bronchoscopy. Patients with history of
prolonged intubation as in this case can have a high risk of developing
tracheal stenosis.
The patients
with tracheal stenosis can either be treated by Surgical Method or Endoscopic
Method known as Balloon Bronchoplasty.
The surgical method inolves cutting out the
narrowed part of the trachea and anastomizing the remaining normal cut ends.
Surgical procedure is an extremely complicated, expensive procedure and involves
prolonged stay.
Therefore Dr. Vishal Sharma opted for the
second method which is known as balloon
bronchoplasty, a technique where the pulmonologist with the help of Bronchoscope
reaches the narrowed part, gives multiple nicks using electrocautery. This is
then followed by carefully inserting the balloon in the narrowed part.
Thereafter, the balloon is serially dilated multiple times to open the narrowed
area of the trachea.
The benefit of
this method is that it can be done within minutes and patient can be discharged
with in a day and hence avoiding a prolonged stay in the hospital and is much
less expensive.
The procedure
was carried out at Alchemist Hospital, which boasts of advanced medical
facilities. Dr. Vishal performed the procedure with meticulous precision,
ensuring the patient experienced minimal discomfort.
Following the
procedure, the patient was closely monitored and exhibited significant relief
from her breathing difficulties. Remarkably, she regained her ability to speak
after a long time. The procedure was free of complications, and a follow-up
care plan was established to ensure continued recovery and improvement.
This case
underscores the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of tracheal
stenosis. The successful outcome not only demonstrates the effectiveness of
balloon bronchoplasty but also highlights the high standard of care provided by
Dr Vishal Sharma and his team at Alchemist Hospital.
Alchemist Hospital is known for providing advanced
medical services and is dedicated to delivering top-quality care to its
patients.