Kerala Physicians Successfully Treat Boerhaave's Syndrome Using EndoVac Therapy

Thiruvananthapuram: KIMSHEALTH Trivandrum successfully treated a 53-year-old male patient suffering from Boerhaave's syndrome, a rare and life-threatening condition involving a tear in the esophagus and fluid leakage into the chest cavity. The patient, who arrived with severe chest pain and vomiting, was swiftly diagnosed and underwent emergency surgery to remove the chest fluid and repair the perforation.

Following the initial surgery, the patient underwent multiple sessions of EndoVac Therapy, a novel treatment that uses negative pressure to rapidly heal esophageal perforations. This minimally invasive procedure involves placing a special drainage tube in the esophagus to create a controlled suction environment. The negative pressure helps to drain fluids and secretions from the perforation site, promoting healing and preventing infection.

"In this case, esophageal perforation was caused by excessive pressure from vomiting," said Dr. Shiraz Ahmed Rather, ClinicalChair. Multiorgan Transplant. He added that without proper treatment for this rare and highly fatal condition, the mortality rate can be as high as 60 percent.

After three weeks of continuous EndoVac therapy, the patient's esophageal perforation had completely healed. He started on an oral diet and was discharged from the hospital with complete recovery. "This is the second such patient here to benefit from this new approach," said Dr. Madhu Sasidharan, Senior Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology. “There are only a few centers in India to offer EndoVac therapy, providing patients with a minimally invasive and effective treatment option”, he added.

Dr. Shabeerali T U, Chief Coordinator & Senior Consultant, Dr. Varghese Yeldo, Consultant in Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgery; Dr. Ajith K Nair and Dr. Harish Kareem, Senior Consultants, Department of Gastroenterology; Dr. Arun P, Associate Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology; Dr. Shaji Palangadan, Senior Consultant and Coordinator, Department of Cardio Thoracic Surgery, along with Dr. Hashir A, Consultant, Department of Anesthesia, were also part of the team.