Doctors at Nanavati Hospital operated upon a 59-year-old woman suffering from a rare medical condition. Vasanti Somane’s major arteries in the body leading to her arms, legs, heart and kidneys had several blockages. It took doctors several operations and a bypass to open up the arteries.

“I have had diabetes for the past 20 years. Last December I was experiencing breathlessness. I was admitted to a private hospital in Dombivali. It was only this February that I was told about my condition,” said Somane from the hospital.

Cardiologists at Nanavati Hospital said further delay in the surgery could have proved life threatening for the patient. “She is severely diabetic and is hypertensive. She was suffering from peripheral vascular disease and also had coronary artery disease that led to a major heart attack. Arteries to her kidneys were 90 per cent blocked and arteries to her upper and lower limbs were also blocked apart from the main artery to the heart,” said Dr Rajiv Bhagwat, interventional cardiologist at Nanavati Hospital. Dr Bhagwat began treating her this February. “It took us three procedures to open up the arteries to her limbs and kidney and also one bypass,” said Dr Bhagwat.

Despite several blockages Somane exhibited no serious symptoms except for breathlessness and hypertension.

When asked about the reason for so many blockages Dr Bhagwat said that she could be genetically prone. Also uncontrolled hypertension and cholesterol could have triggered the blockages or she may be suffering from aorto-arthritis which is a generalised inflammation of the vascular tree affecting major arteries.

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