Surgeons at Latvia's Eastern Hospital rebuild woman's aorta in open surgery

Doctors at Eastern Hospital in Latvia have carried out a rare and technically complex aortic reconstruction through open surgery to save a patient's life. The aorta is the body's largest blood vessel. The woman's condition was critical, and without surgery her illness could have been fatal. The doctors stress that such cases are the exception, as modern medicine increasingly favours minimally invasive procedures.

Why open surgery was chosen

Vascular surgeon Pāvels Žibenko explained that the patient's largest blood vessel was critically narrowed. Had it closed completely, the outcome would have been fatal. The woman suffered constant pain in her abdomen and legs and could neither walk nor eat.

Patrīcija Ivanova, senior physician of the hospital's vascular surgery department, said that vascular diseases are mostly treated with minimally invasive methods, in which the operation is performed through the groin. Sometimes that is not possible, and in such cases doctors assess the decision on a multidisciplinary basis. This time the aortic disease was severe, so they opted for open reconstruction.

The operation and its outcome

During the procedure, surgeons had to open the chest and the abdominal cavity and also cut through the diaphragm. The aim was to restore adequate blood flow, ease the symptoms and prevent further deterioration of her health.

Žibenko said the most emotionally rewarding moment for a doctor was the patient's first smile in the intensive care ward. The woman has now begun rehabilitation and, when contacted by phone, said everything is incredibly good.