Patient Story

Dr. Pritpal Singh’s Story

 

Life is full of uncertainties. One is normally at crossroads when one is suddenly confronted with words like “You require a By-pass Surgery”. And if you are a reluctant decision-maker like me then you spend one fourth of your life in weighing options, another quarter confusing everyone around you including yourself about which option to choose, a third quarter in limbo and the last quarter bearing the horrendous consequences of a decision left simmering too long. I was fortunate that my wife took a snap decision and we decided to see Dr. Rajan Mehra at the Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula. It was some divine power that guided us to Dr. Rajan Mehra whose professional acumen, personality and aura convinced us that we were in the right hands. After the first meeting with the doctor and his team of professionals I was fully convinced that this was the Hospital where I would be operated. Dr. Rajan Mehra is an authority and is known all over the world for his expertise in successfully handling surgical cases related to Cardiac and Lung problems. The Hospital is fully equipped to handle any type of eventuality and the team of professionals is capable to undertake all types of surgical procedures. If I were to look back in the sands of time, I could feel the presence of the Almighty all through my stay at the Hospital. I am grateful to Dr. Rajan Mehra, his team of professional doctors, technicians, and the staff at the Alchemist Hospital for always being there for me and for providing me with the best of services.

Harsh Story

 

‘Harsh’ seemed like a perfectly healthy child. But would get tired easily…………his paediatrician heard a ‘heart murmur’.

 

Soon, an Echo showed a ‘ Ventricular Septal Defect’- a ‘hole’ in the wall between the heart’s two lower chambers (chambers that pump blood to the body and lungs) These VSD’s can be safely repaired by open heart surgery during early years of life but left untreated- although some will close by itself but some will lead to irreversible changes and make treatment almost impossible. Doctors decided that if the VSD didn’t close by the time Harsh was over 2, they would fix it. Until then, they would monitor him regularly. While Harsh grew normally, he did have chest infections (children with septal defects are more susceptible to chest infection), he would get breathless and would tire very easily while playing. But ‘Harsh’ grew into a very resilient kid, and the nurses in the hospital would laugh when he would pick up the morning newspaper and get it to his father who stayed by his bed side all through the hospital stay.

 

Trusting Us with His Care.

 

When Harsh was just nearing 3 yrs. of age, it seemed that the VSD was not closing, he would get tired more easily and a Heart Cath showed the VSD that had not closed and some new signs that were very concerning. November 2014, the family trusted doctors and nurses at ‘Alchemist Hospital’ for his open heart surgery. After about 3 hours of open heart surgery in which his heart was stopped for just over an hour, the good news arrived: the VSD had been closed. Harsh was taken off the ventilator in about one hour after surgery, was breathing on his own, and was eating by the same evening. He stayed overnight in the brand new ‘Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit’ with his father and went home in about 5 days after a major ‘Open Heart Surgery’

Follow-up care

 

An appointment with our physicians after about one week, ‘Harsh’ was recovering perfectly. He will visit us again in one month and then in one year after which he will be just another healthy kid with ‘no heart disease’ but with a small scar on the chest- that will always tell us stories about this brave kid.