Hyderabad: In a groundbreaking medical feat, a 29-year-old software engineer with an extremely rare congenital heart condition was successfully treated by the expert cardiac surgery team at KIMS Hospital, Kondapur. Dr. Nisarga, Chief Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, KIMS Kondapur shared the intricate details with the media. “Some individuals are born with congenital heart defects, but these often go undetected for years. This young man was one such case. Despite having no major health issues previously, he began experiencing extreme fatigue and could no longer play badminton like he used to. After consulting multiple major hospitals, no one was willing to take up his surgery due to the complexity of his case,” explained Dr. Nisarga.Further investigations revealed he had a rare congenital heart defect of a hole in the heart between the two upper chambers, which in medical terms is named Superior Vena Cava (SVC)-type of ASD(Atrial Septal Defect) , found in only 4–10% of those with an ASD. Additionally, he had a Double SVC, a condition seen in only about 0.5% of the general population. In common terms, one of the major veins that carry deoxygenated blood from the head and neck to the heart was also malformed. This added to the complexity of the surgery.Under the guidance of Dr. Ravikumar Aluri, Chief Interventional Cardiologist, a thorough evaluation was done using Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) and Right Heart Catheterization to confirm the diagnosis. The surgical team, led by Dr. Nisarga, Chief Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, decided to proceed with robot-assisted surgery using the Da Vinci Robotic System.The complexity of the procedure was carefully explained to the patient and his family beforehand.During surgery, the heart was stopped for two hours while the patient was placed on cardiopulmonary bypass. Robotic technique was used to close the defect. The entire procedure lasted over five hours. Only a small incision was made in the chest, through which the robotic arms were inserted to perform the repair. Thanks to the precision of robotic surgery, the patient recovered remarkably quickly and was discharged within a week.Dr. Nisarga emphasized the importance of early detection in such rare cases:”Parents should consult a doctor if children show signs of fatigue or breathlessness during play. Left untreated, such defects can cause permanent heart damage. In this case, oxygen-rich blood was mixing with deoxygenated blood, but since the flow was one-sided, it was still safe to perform the surgery. Had there been a bi-directional flow, surgery would not have been possible.”He also addressed common misconceptions about robotic surgery: “People often think the robot performs the surgery autonomously. In reality, it’s always a skilled surgeon operating the robotic arms, using advanced imaging for precision. The robot only acts as a tool, enhancing accuracy—not replacing human expertise.”The team including Dr. Nisarga (Chief Cardiac Surgeon), Dr. Vineeth (Cardiac Surgeon), Dr. Divya and Dr. Gorintha (Cardiac Anesthesiologists), Manoah (Senior Surgical Assistant), and Senior Clinical Perfusionists Dayakar Swamy and Jaganmohan have taken part in the surgery. This case highlights the importance of early detection and expert intervention in managing heart ailments.KIMS Hospitals continues to set benchmarks in complex surgeries and patient care through innovation and advanced technology. It is one of the very few hospitals in Hyderabad performing Robotic heart surgeries.
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