Five arteries of the patient that supply blood to and from the heart were clogged due to atherosclerosis
Dubai: A physically active Indian expat in Dubai, who played badminton for two hours every day, suffered a heart attack in sleep and survived it. The doctors here at a private hospital diagnosed him with severe blockage in five arteries that supply blood to and from the heart.
An Angiography X-ray revealed that the 41-year-old Rajkumar Rajendran had 100 percent block in three coronary arteries and partial blockage in two branching arteries. He then underwent a life-saving coronary artery bypass graft surgery at Aster Hospital, Qusais, on 23 September 2022.
Played badminton every day
Rajkumar, who is now recovering at his home post the surgery, said he could not believe his ears when the doctor told him about multiple blocks in the artery. “I was physically active and played badminton daily with my friends for two hours. I was fit and healthy. I cannot remember the last time I took any medicine,” he added. 
According to him, he experienced minor pain in the chest and the back during sleep. “It lasted for a couple of minutes. I woke up and sat on my bed. But then, the pain went away. The next day, I spoke to my brother about this, and he advised me to consult a doctor. We went to a nearby clinic, and the ECG showed variation,” recalled Rajkumar.
The doctor at the clinic advised Rajkumar to go to a hospital and get an angiography test. “The angiography test revealed the extent of multiple blocks. I had to undergo surgery. I met Dr. Pradeep Chand S Nair, a specialist cardiothoracic surgeon at Aster Hospital, Qusais, and discussed the treatment modalities,” he added.
Risky Procedure
The presence of multiple blocks in all the coronary arteries made Rajkumar’s case a complex one, said Dr. Pradeep. “The blockage was 100 percent in three of his major arteries. The other two blocks were partial but above 50 percent. We had to clear all those,” he explained.
Apart from this, Rajkumar had high blood pressure and diabetes. He had no idea about it. Even these levels had to come under control before the procedure.
“Fortunately, everything fell in place within a few days, and we performed the surgery successfully. The recovery was remarkable. Before the discharge, we made Rajkumar climb two flights of stairs. The exercise was successful. We discharged him on the sixth day post the surgery,” said Dr. Pradeep, adding that it is heartening to see your patient recovering well.
Rajkumar and his family are also happy and relieved after the surgery. “We are happy that the surgery went well. We were a little concerned. But thankfully, everything went well. The wounds are healing, and hopefully, I could get back to my normal life in some time,” said Rajkumar.
