Faridabad, March 30 (IANS): The simplest task of swallowing food was perhaps the biggest challenge for 40-year-old Isam. The Iraqi citizen suffered from a rare disorder called dysphagia lusoria, that made swallowing food difficult for him.

Seeking to remedy the life-threatening complication, Isam Abdul Hussein Faisal consulted a number of doctors in his country but to no avail.

Then came a glimmer of hope when one of the doctors advised him to go to India and seek treatment there.

After finding out about treatments available in Indian medical institutions, Isam came earlier this month to the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Faridabad where doctors -- though seeing such a case for the first time -- managed to surgically correct the abnormal condition so that Isam could resume normal life.

"We saw such kind of case for the first time in Delhi NCR... this is an abnormal condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing due to aberrant right subclavian artery," said Mukesh Goel, chief cardiac surgeon, AIMS.

The subclavian arteries are paired major arteries of the upper chest, below the collar bone. An aberrant subclavian artery is one that grows out of place and may form a vascular ring around the trachea and esophagus.

Explaining the condition, Goel said the aberrant subclavian artery grows in such a manner that it exerts pressure on the esophagus and results in dysphagia lusoria.

Doctors at the AIMS surgically repaired the valve and position of the subclavian artery in an operation March 20.

"We have surgically repaired the valve and positioned it at its correct place. Within three-four days of initiating the treatment, the patient started showing dramatic improvement and was discharged within a week. Isam's condition has improved and he is ready to go back to his country," said Gaurav Goel, consultant cardiac surgeon, at the hospital.

Isam flew back home Saturday.