Written By: Prerna Mittra | Published : March 25, 2025 7:46 PM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr Ashank Bansal, vascular interventional radiologist at Masina Hospital, Byculla
Madagascar Man's Fall From Bed Helps Doctors Discover A Life-Threatening Health Condition (Photo: Representational/Freepik)
An elderly man from Madagascar, a patient named Firdoche Houssen, fell down from the bed one day, and then experienced excruciating pain for months. It confounded him and his family members. Later, doctors were able to deduce the cause of the pain. The patient was diagnosed with an 'abdominal aortic aneurysm' for which he underwent a life-saving stent procedure here in India. Read on to know more about the medical case.
In Mumbai, the patient was treated successfully by a team of doctors led by Dr Abhijeet Soni and Dr Ashank Bansal, vascular interventional radiologists at Masina Hospital, Byculla. As mentioned earlier, the 70-year-old man from Madagascar developed abdominal pain after falling from his bed. But, thankfully, the fall led to the timely diagnosis of the 'abdominal aortic aneurysm', a life-threatening health condition that is linked to his chronic smoking habits. To swiftly and effectively repair the aneurysm, doctors performed a cutting-edge, minimally-invasive stent graft procedure, which ensured quick recovery and lasting pain relief.
For Houssen, the fall from bed led to agonising pain for over two months. It turned even the simplest of daily tasks into a struggle. Each day, he battled constant discomfort, before finally getting diagnosed.
Since there is no advanced medical treatment in his home country, there was a lot of fear and uncertainty in the patient's mind as to how he would recover. That's when he made the decision to travel to India in the hope of surviving this phase. Upon his arrival -- with the reference of one Dr Zainulabedin Hamdulay -- the man met with Dr Bansal and started the treatment process.
"This patient came to me with a history of smoking and severe abdominal pain on February 25. His CT abdomen angiography confirmed an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a bulge in the part of the aorta that runs through the belly. This can lead to complications, such as rupture and bleeding, which could be fatal," said Dr Bansal, as mentioned in a statement shared by the hospital.
The doctor went on to explain that an aortic aneurysm can be caused by high blood pressure, smoking, genetics, and atherosclerosis, which involves the narrowing and inflammation of the arteries. Since this patient had a history of smoking, it is possible that it acted as a catalyst.
"Common symptoms of aortic aneurysm are severe abdominal or back pain; unfortunately, many people do not experience symptoms until it is too late. That is why timely detection and treatment are crucial. The location of the aneurysm was just below the renal arteries, and the stent graft allowed accurate placement without damage to the renal arteries. Open surgery would have involved a large scar and caused blood loss, besides multiple days of hospital stay. The patient was posted for a stent grafting procedure on March 3," the doctor explained.
Dr Bansal added that stent grafting for abdominal aortic aneurysm is a good alternative to open aortic repair. "In this patient's case, a stent graft procedure was performed. A minimally-invasive technique was used to repair the aneurysm. It involves inserting a small device of 1 cm through the artery to reinforce the weak section of the aorta, restoring proper blood flow and preventing the aneurysm from growing or rupturing. The procedure is safe and precise and minimises the risk of complications such as blood loss while also reducing the chances of morbidity."
According to the doctor, the patient was mobilised the day after the procedure and has been doing well. The procedure lasted two hours, and the patient was discharged on March 5.
"For patients like him, stent grafting offers a chance at life without the prolonged recovery or risks when compared to invasive procedures."
