Mumbai: Dr Anil Venkitachalam, Consultant Neurologist at Zen Multispecialty Hospital successfully saved the life of a 35-year-old woman who presented with drowsiness, inability to walk and slurring of speech due to an acute stroke which could have been fatal. The patient has recovered completely and resumed her daily routine with the help of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Timely intervention can reduce morbidity and mortality due to stroke.
Dr Anil Venkitachalam, Consultant Neurologist at Zen Multispecialty Hospital, Chembur, Mumbai, said, “I was called to see Ms. Neepa Shah (name changed), a 35-year-old lady from Chembur who was almost comatose at the time of presentation to the casualty. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is cut off. She presented outside the window period for any thrombolysis. It was almost 12 hours after the onset of symptoms that she came to hospital. She had evidence of bilateral cerebellar infarcts with cerebral oedema. In such cases, if left untreated, the brain swells up and vital brain functions may be compromised eventually leading to significant damage and mortality. After discussing with her family, she was posted for emergency decompression surgery with the neurosurgeon Dr. Batuk Diyora. In this surgery, a part of the skull is removed thereby enabling the brain to expand and thus reduce the pressure and swelling inside the brain.
Dr Anil said, “post-operatively, she remained in the ICU for two weeks and started showing signs of improvement in consciousness after one week. Over the next month, she was managed in the hospital with intensive monitoring and neurorehabilitation. With the treatment given, she had an improvement in motor function. Her cognitive functions remained intact. She was discharged home after around one month. At the time of discharge from hospital, she was able to stand with support but needed help for activities of daily living. Over the next two months, she continued to recover, and her progress was carefully monitored. Around 4 months, after the stroke, she had made a complete recovery and did not have any residual deficits. She is independent now and leading a normal life. It is important to act promptly and try to intervene as early as possible so that viable brain tissue can be saved. If left untreated, most of these strokes cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients. In order to ensure good results, teamwork and coordination between various specialists is very important and comprehensive healthcare services help patients recover from such serious strokes.”
“I was on the verge of dying after a stroke. I thank the hospital and doctors for saving my life. I have completely recovered due to their efforts and with the help of intensive physiotherapy.” concluded the patient Neepa Shah (name changed).
