Triple Vessel Disease Can Lead To A Massive Heart Attack: Watch Out For The Warning Signs

Triple Vessel Disease (TVD) is an extreme form of coronary artery disease (CAD) that causes blockage of blood vessels. Read on to know the causes, sign and symptoms as well as how it can be treated.

A 56-year-old man was brought to a private hospital in Mumbai in an emergency with complaints like chest pain (angina), palpitation, and chest heaviness. An angiography was performed immediately, and it revealed that the patient suffered Triple Vessel Disease (TVD) that led to blockage of blood vessels.

Doctors at Siddhivinayak Multispeciality Hospital & Cardiac Care Center in Kalyan City, Mumbai successfully performed bypass surgery on the patient who suffered a massive heart attack due to Triple Vessel Disease. After surgery, the patient has been discharged.

What is Triple Vessel Disease (TVD)?

Triple Vessel Disease (TVD) is an extreme form of coronary artery disease (CAD) that causes morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus, said Dr. Abhay Jain, Cardiac surgeon, Siddhivinayak Multispeciality Hospital & Cardiac Care Center.

He added, "A buildup of plaque can narrow the arteries, decreasing blood flow to the heart. Eventually, the reduced blood flow may cause chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, and a complete blockage that can lead to a heart attack."

Sign and symptoms of Triple Vessel Disease

The patient, Dinkar Patil, a 56-year-old farmer based in Kalyan, was admitted to Emergency Room (ER) on 20 January 2022 with complaints like chest pain (angina), palpitation, and chest heaviness, which he was experiencing for around four days. He tried some home remedies to get that much-needed relief, but in vain. Alarmed by the red flags, his family brought him to Siddhivinayak Multispeciality Hospital & Cardiac Care Center.

"On arrival, his electrocardiogram (ECG) was done that indicated myocardial infarction. He was immediately taken to the cath lab by Dr. Sachin Chaudhary (interventional cardiologist) who performed an angiography. This procedure is done to see how blood flows through the arteries in your heart and check if there are any blockages. It was revealed that the patient suffered Triple Vessel Disease (TVD). The patient and his family members were counselled and he was scheduled to undergo a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) on 23/1/2022," Dr. Jain stated.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or bypass surgery

As explained by Dr Jain, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or bypass surgery is a procedure that helps to restore blood flow to the heart muscle by diverting the flow of blood around a section of a blocked artery in the patient's heart.

"A healthy blood vessel is taken from the patient's leg, arm, chest, or abdomen and connected to the other arteries in the heart so that blood is bypassed around the diseased or blocked area. The new vessel is known as graft. An incision is made down the center of the chest, through the sternum (breast bone), so that the heart and coronary arteries can be seen," he said.

In case of Patil, three major vessels like arteries, veins, and capillaries which supply blood to heart were blocked. Sing graft taken from left leg was used in his case, according to Dr Jain.

Dr Abhay Gaikwad, Director of Siddhivinayak Multispeciality Hospital, elaborated that this procedure improves blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart and manages symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath.

Talking about the bypass surgery they performed on Patil, he asserted, "The chest incision was closed, and a chest tube was used to drain the fluid. The surgery was uneventful and lasted for 3.5 hours. The patient was kept in the ICU for 2 days and later shifted to the general ward. He was discharged on January 28 and can talk, sit and walk now. He will be able to resume his daily routine after a month. He can do the daily chores but not any heavy activities."

Dr Gaikwad underscored that not treating the patient at the right time could have led to his death.