Media Release
Mangaluru, Aug 26: A 16-year-old girl, Tina (name changed), has made a remarkable recovery after battling a life-threatening condition following an emergency surgery for a burst appendix. She was brought to KMC Hospital at B R Ambedkar Circle in Mangaluru in a critical condition and was placed on ECMO, an advanced heart and lung life-support system, for eight days. After 45 days of treatment and rehabilitation, she was discharged and returned home with her family.
Tina had initially undergone emergency surgery at another hospital for a burst appendix. Following the surgery, she developed Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), a severe reaction in which the body's immune system becomes excessively activated and can affect vital organs. Her condition deteriorated, and she suffered a cardiac arrest, requiring six rounds of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to restart her circulation.
R to L: Dr Swathi Rao, Dr Vasanth Madhav Kamath, Dr Dattatraya Prabhu, Pramod Kunder
During the arrest, she also suffered from hypoxic brain injury due to a reduced oxygen supply to the brain. Following resuscitation, her heart function also reduced significantly, leaving her in need of advanced life support.
Recognising the severity of her condition, the KMC Hospital team under the care of head of department and consultant critical care Dr Dattatray Prabhu, and paediatric intensivist Dr Swathi Rao, retrieved Tina on ECMO support and brought her to the hospital. ECMO is a specialised heart and lung life-support treatment in which blood is temporarily taken outside the body, supplied with oxygen, and returned to the bloodstream, while also supporting the heart's ability to maintain circulation. It can provide time for the heart to recover during critical illness.
Dr Dattatray Prabhu said, “Tina was brought to us in an extremely critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest and complications following emergency surgery. ECMO provided vital support to her circulation while her heart recovered. She remained on ECMO for eight days under continuous monitoring. Once her heart function improved, we were able to gradually take her off the support. The next challenge was helping her recover from the effects of prolonged critical illness, and this required coordinated care from multiple teams.”
Under the care of head of department and consultant cardiologist Dr Narasimha Pai, her heart function improved. Tina was successfully weaned off ECMO, and the ECMO tubes were subsequently removed by CTVS surgeons Dr Madhav Kamath and Dr Iresh Shetty. She gradually regained consciousness but developed critical illness myopathy, a condition in which prolonged critical illness and ICU treatment cause significant muscle weakness. This was effectively treated by neurologist Dr Rohit Pai.
Paediatric intensivist Dr Swathi Rao said, “Recovery after a prolonged ICU stay is a gradual process, particularly in children who have been critically ill. Our focus was not only on stabilising her condition but also on helping her regain consciousness, strength, nutrition, and mobility. Physiotherapy, nutritional support, and continuous monitoring played an important role in her recovery. Her progress gave the entire team immense encouragement.”
Cluster director of KMC Hospital Pramod Kunder said, “This case reflects the importance of having advanced critical care facilities, specialised teams, and coordinated support available when patients are facing life-threatening situations. Our priority is to provide not just advanced medical treatment, but also compassionate support to patients and their families throughout their journey.”
The appeal for financial support received widespread attention on social media, with several schools and members of the public coming forward to support Tina’s treatment. For her parents, the 45-day journey was deeply emotional, but after intensive treatment, monitoring, and rehabilitation, Tina was finally discharged, marking her recovery from critical illness and life support, and allowing her to return home with her family.
The case highlights the life-saving role of ECMO in managing patients with severe heart and lung failure when conventional treatment may not be sufficient. In Tina’s case, ECMO provided crucial support to her heart and circulation during the most critical phase, giving her body valuable time to recover. The timely intervention, advanced ECMO facility, and coordinated efforts of the multidisciplinary team at KMC Hospital played a key role in helping her overcome a life-threatening condition and return home after 45 days of care.