Heart Attack After Cancer Surgery And A Leap Of Faith
For a cancer surgeon who sees patients struggle through the various stages of the disease, some days can be dark and depressing, others a whirlwind of surgeries and follow-ups, and many filled with a warm glow of hope. And the courage of patients and caregivers can help doctors see the light, even in the darkest hours.
Her most difficult medical decision. But the doctor is glad he took that call as it helped the 55-year-old cancer patient back from the brink.
“When you step back and look at the patient’s situation with empathy and reframe your thinking, the results are usually better,” the senior surgeon says.
Esophageal cancer is cancer of the food pipe. Worldwide cure rates are around 25-30 percent.
He wanted to bring his father to the Bydehi Cancer Center in Bangalore for surgery.
“We performed the esophagectomy, and it went well,” says Dr. Ganesh. His condition worsened and this delayed his recovery from cancer surgery. And the patient was not improving.”
Dr. Ganesh understood the family’s dilemma. It was a tough call to take, but I decided to continue treatment for a few more days [critical care treatment (in ICU) for heart attack and post-surgery care for cancer]. It paid off as he was stable after 10 days and was shifted to the ward. Once the pathology report showed that he was doing well, the patient’s family decided to take him back home.”
The senior surgical oncologist said his biggest learning from the experience was realizing the importance of “situational awareness.”
Dr. Ganesh stays in touch with the family, checking the patient’s progress through video calls.
Two months after surgery, the patient was considered a cancer survivor. It’s been over a year since the surgery and dad are doing well.
Heart Attack After Cancer Surgery And A Leap Of Faith
