HEALTH-KIMS-LIFE SAVE

VISAKHAPATNAM OCT 30 (RNI) A young man from Bhubaneswar, Odisha suddenly developed multi-organ failure. The doctors there were unable to stabilize him and contacted KIMS ICON Hospital in Visakhapatnam. Immediately, a critical care team led by Dr. M. Ravikrishna rushed to Bhubaneswar.

* A young man was transported from Bhubaneswar to KIMS ICON Hospital, Visakhapatnam

* He was already suffering from multi-organ failure

* After treatment, doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his adrenal gland

* The tumor was releasing uncontrolled amounts of adrenaline

* Doctors successfully removed it through a laparoscopic procedure

* With advanced treatment, a 25-year-old engineer’s life was saved

The 25-year-old patient was placed on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) at the hospital there itself, and then transported 500 kilometers by road to Visakhapatnam using a portable ECMO machine. Apart from one short stop for blood tests, the team never halted the ambulance during the entire journey.

When the patient reached KIMS ICON, investigations revealed lung injury, cardiogenic shock, brain hemorrhage, and liver and kidney failure. “Transporting such a critically ill patient over such a long distance was extremely challenging,” said Dr. Ravikrishna. “Putting him on ECMO early was the turning point  it prevented further organ damage.”

At Visakhapatnam, advanced treatment began immediately. The team administered inhaled nitric oxide to improve oxygenation without affecting the brain. Simultaneously, they treated to prevent further brain bleeding. Within a few days, the patient began to recover rapidly, and within five days, all support systems including ECMO were removed. He was out of danger.

After stabilization, detailed evaluations were conducted. Doctors learned that the patient had been experiencing episodes of anxiety and excessive sweating for the past two years. Further tests revealed Pheochromocytoma (PMC) a rare, life-threatening tumor of the adrenal gland that causes uncontrolled secretion of adrenaline. Because the hormone surges occurred only intermittently, previous tests had shown negative results, despite his symptoms being severe at times.

After nine days of intensive care, the patient was discharged. He was then evaluated by Dr. Lakshminarayana (Surgical Oncologist) and Dr. Shravanthi (Endocrinologist). Four weeks later, a laparoscopic surgery was performed to remove the tumor, under the supervision of senior anesthetists Dr. Somaraju and Dr. Appalaraju. Tests confirmed that it was an early-stage cancer, which had not spread elsewhere.

“This case shows how rare endocrine emergencies can sometimes cause unexplained multi-organ failure,” said Dr. Ravikrishna. “It takes great skill to use ECMO in such conditions. We had to think like medical detectives — the rapid recovery after ECMO, and the way some drugs were ineffective, made us suspect an endocrine cause rather than sepsis. Once we treated accordingly, the patient recovered fully.”

He added that the success of this 500 km ECMO transport and the patient’s recovery were possible only due to teamwork, timely intervention, and advanced technology.