Doctors at AIIMS Bhubaneswar successfully revived a 24-year-old Army soldier whose heart had stopped for nearly 90 minutes. The young soldier, hailing from Nayagarh district, was brought back to life using the advanced Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (eCPR) procedure, marking the first successful case of its kind in the state.
The patient, suffering from heart failure, was referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar on October 1 in a critical condition. Shortly after arrival, he suffered cardiac arrest. Despite 40 minutes of conventional CPR, there was no cardiac activity. Faced with a critical decision, the medical team, led by Dr. Srikant Behera, an intensivist and Adult ECMO specialist, initiated eCPR using Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) technology 80 minutes after cardiac arrest.
eCPR is a cutting-edge procedure that combines traditional CPR with ECMO technology to oxygenate and pump blood externally, bypassing the heart and lungs. This provides critical time for the organs to recover and the underlying cause to be addressed.
The multidisciplinary team, including Dr. Krishna Mohan Gulla, Dr. Sandip Kumar Panda, Dr. Siddharth Sathia, Dr. Sangeeta Sahoo and Dr. Manas R. Panigrahi, worked in exceptional coordination, ensuring the patient’s survival. After 40 minutes of eCPR, the patient’s heart resumed beating, although irregularly. Over the next 30 hours, his heart function stabilized significantly and he was successfully weaned off ECMO after 96 hours. Several life-threatening complications were also managed during the recovery period.
Dr Srikant Behera, Intensivist and Adult ECMO specialist, emphasized, "eCPR, while technically challenging, represents a promising advancement in the treatment of cardiac arrests traditionally deemed fatal. This success marks a milestone in Odisha's medical history."
Praising the team’s dedication, AIIMS Bhubaneswar’s Executive Director, Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, stated, “This milestone reflects our commitment to integrating medical science with technology to save lives.” The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Dillip Kumar Parida also lauded the achievement, calling it a testament to the institute’s innovative approach to healthcare.
The soldier’s mother expressed profound gratitude, saying, “AIIMS Bhubaneswar gave my son a second chance at life. Their compassion and expertise worked a miracle for our family.”
This remarkable feat underscores the transformative potential of eCPR in critical care and marks a new chapter in Odisha’s medical capabilities.
