Rare Case: Doctors save life of patient with multiple cardiac arrest during surgery

In an uncommon measure, doctors at a city hospital pulled off a 55-year patient with multiple cardiac arrests to life following a certain procedure. While undergoing a routine procedure to remove a sebaceous cyst, the patient after the surgery collapsed in the hospital and heart stopped beating, prompting for immediate CPR.

The treating doctors reached out to Dr. Rashi Khare, Additional Director- Cardiology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, who advised shifting the patient to the hospital where he was taken to the Cath lab for emergency angiography that showed restored blood flow in coronary vessels. But despite those efforts, he suffered yet another cardiac arrest.

Later, doctors placed him on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), advanced life-support system that temporarily takes over the function of heart and lungs. The therapy continued for five days, until his heart and lungs began to function. The patient’s heart gradually regained strength and was successfully weaned off ECMO and ventilator support. After several weeks, he was discharged in a stable condition.

“After 45 minutes of CPR and multiple cardiac arrests, his chances of survival were extremely slim. When he arrived at Fortis on life support, scans showed a collapsed lung from the resuscitation, and his heart was barely functioning,” said Dr. Khare. “Putting him on ECMO was a decisive move — it gave his heart and lungs exactly the rest they needed. This case truly exemplifies how the right mix of timely intervention, teamwork, and advanced technology can save a life.”