Shillong, June 24: A novel medical procedure was successfully performed for the first time in Northeast India at NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, offering hope to a critically ill young woman. The woman was suffering from a rare complication known as a “Stump Blowout”, characterised by widespread lung infection and life-threatening pneumonia due to reopening of a surgically closed airway following a lung resection surgery in 2019.
Unable to undergo immediate surgery due to poor general condition with underlying infection, the patient was stabilized in the ICU on single-lung ventilation. A multidisciplinary team consisting of Dr. Vijay Noel Nongpiur (Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine), Dr. Reuben L. Kynta (Associate Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery), Dr. Neelamjingbha Sun (Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery) and Dr. Advait Mohan (Senior Resident, Department of Pulmonary Medicine) then devised a novel, non-surgical approach wherein a custom-modified Y-shaped silicone stent was inserted into the airway. The device created a temporary closure of the damaged stump in the airway, thereby preventing pus from reaching the healthy lung and allowing her to breathe without ventilator support. The silicone stent offers a temporary solution, buying time to treat the infection and build the patient’s strength for future reconstructive surgery. Unlike metallic stents, it can be safely removed once definitive surgery is done to close the damaged stump. The team was assisted by Dr. Aravind (Senior Resident) and Dr. Priyanka Dev (Associate Professor) from the department of Anaesthesia, who provided general anaesthetic cover and backup during the procedure.
Director NEIGIRIHMS, Prof. Nalin Mehta lauded the team for their innovative approach and added that this was the first instance that such a stent was used in the region and procedures like these underlined the eminence of NEIGRIHMS in providing advanced health care in the region.
