Chennai, 30 September 2025: Doctors at SRM Global Hospitals, Kattankulathur, have successfully performed a high-risk, life-saving surgery on a 30-year-old patient who developed two dangerous swellings in the body’s main blood vessels near the heart (known as aneurysms).

The patient was diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm, a swelling in the main artery carrying blood from the heart, and an innominate artery aneurysm, which affects a major blood vessel that supplies blood to the head and right arm. The complex procedures that saved the patient included reopening the chest (redo sternotomy) to replace part of the main artery near the heart (hemiarch replacement) and reconnecting a major blood vessel to restore normal blood flow (innominate artery re-implantation). The patient recovered well after the surgery.

Aortic aneurysms are balloon-like growths that develop in the body’s main artery. Often called “silent killers,” they can go undetected until they burst, which can be fatal. To treat such aneurysms effectively, SRM Global Hospital has launched a Centre of Excellence in Aortic Surgery at the Institute of Cardiac Sciences, coinciding with World Heart Day 2025.

The complex surgery, conducted as part of the centre’s prelaunch, was led by Dr. T.R. Muralidharan, Director of the Institute of Cardiac Sciences, and Dr. Sujit I. Velayudhan, Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon - and was supported by Dr. B. Nembian Raja Rajan, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon; Dr. Srinath D., Senior Consultant, Cardiac Anaesthesia; and Dr. R. Swaminathan, Consultant, Cardiac Anaesthesia.

In their comment, Dr. T. R. Muralidharan, Director – Institute of Cardiac Sciences, and Dr. I. Sujith Velayudhan, Senior Consultant – Cardiothoracic Surgery, said, “These were some of the most challenging aortic aneurysm surgeries, requiring advanced hybrid techniques and precise teamwork. Thanks to the expertise of our team and the state-of-the-art technology at the new centre, the outcomes are on par with the best in the world. With the launch of this centre, patients can now access advanced, life-saving care here at the Centre of Excellence in Aortic Surgery, without the need to travel abroad.”

Commenting on the milestone, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, President – SRM Global Hospitals said, “This series of rare and successful aortic procedures reflects our institution’s commitment to leading in advanced cardiac care. The launch of the Centre of Excellence in Aortic Surgery reinforces our position in providing world-class treatment for life-threatening conditions. At this centre, we are focusing on the most challenging cases, using innovative hybrid techniques that combine traditional open-heart surgery with minimally invasive methods.”

During the pre-launch, the centre successfully completed two other rare and complex aortic surgeries over the past few days. These procedures involved advanced hybrid surgical and endovascular techniques, including the Elephant Trunk Procedure with TEVAR, Hybrid Aortic Repair, and Hemiarch Replacement with Innominate Artery Re-implantation.

In one case, 64-year-old Mr. Sampath was diagnosed with a massive aneurysm affecting both the aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta. He underwent a two-stage hybrid surgery: first, a Total Arch and Ascending Aortic Replacement with the Elephant Trunk Procedure, followed by a Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR). The surgery was successful, stabilizing his condition and saving his life.

In another case, a 61-year-old patient with a descending thoracic aneurysm and other health complications underwent a Hybrid Aortic Repair. The procedure included arch debranching and endovascular stent implantation to ensure that blood continued to flow safely to vital organs.