Bhubaneswar, Nov 18 (IANS): A 24-year-old army jawan has got a new lease on life after his heart stopped beating for around 120 minutes thanks to the successful implementation of an advanced eCPR procedure by the dedicated team of doctors at the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

“In a ground-breaking display of medical excellence and compassion, the dedicated team at AIIMS Bhubaneswar has achieved a miraculous feat by saving the life of a 24-year-old man through the advanced Extracorporeal Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (eCPR) procedure. This eCPR procedure brought back the life of a young man even after his heart stopped beating for over 1.5 hours,” reads a press statement issued by the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar on Monday.

As per reports, the young jawan identified as Subhakanta Sahoo is a resident of Odapala village in the Ranpura area of the Nayagarh district. Subhakanta, after feeling unease, was admitted to a nearby hospital in Ranapur area on September 30.

However, the doctors referred Subhakanta, in critical condition with heart failure, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar on October 1. The patient suffered a cardiac arrest shortly after his arrival at AIIMS.

The doctors immediately used conventional CPR for 40 minutes but no cardiac activity was noticed in the patient. This left the doctors at a crossroads raising the question of whether to declare patient death or attempt the cutting-edge eCPR procedure.

“Led by Dr. Srikant Behera, Intensivist and Adult ECMO specialist, the team initiated Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) after 80 minutes of cardiac arrest. Through 40 minutes of eCPR, the patient’s heart finally resumed beating, albeit with an irregular rhythm. Over the next 30 hours, the heart function improved significantly, and the patient was successfully weaned off ECMO after 96 hours. The multidisciplinary team addressed several other life-threatening complications, showcasing remarkable expertise, coordination, and dedication,” further added the press note.

The multidisciplinary team involved in the whole procedure include Dr. Krishna Mohan Gulla, Dr. Sandip Kumar Panda, Dr. Siddharth Sathia, Dr. Sangeeta Sahoo, Dr. Manas R. Panigrahi, and healthcare providers from various specialities such as MICU and nursing officers.

While commending the doctors’ team over the achievement, the Executive Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Dr. Ashutosh Biswas said, “AIIMS Bhubaneswar has always been at the forefront of integrating medical science with technology to deliver pioneering healthcare. This is a testament to our dedication to saving lives and advancing medical practices.”

The survivor’s mother also expressed profound gratitude to the team and thanked the doctors for giving her son a second chance at life.

The AIIMS authorities informed that the patient will be discharged from the hospital soon.