Kolkata: What began as unexplained breathlessness and frequent palpitations for a 32-year-old woman from Kolkata turned out to be a rare and complex congenital heart condition—one that affects less than one per cent of patients worldwide. Thanks to timely diagnosis and cutting-edge cardiac surgery at CK Birla Hospitals – BM Birla Heart Hospital, her life has taken a dramatic turn for the better.
Despite undergoing a hole-in-the-heart closure in 2022, the young woman’s symptoms continued to worsen over the last two years. Concerned by her declining health, she sought specialised care at BM Birla Heart Hospital, where an in-depth cardiac evaluation revealed Ebstein anomaly—a rare congenital defect marked by severe leakage of the tricuspid valve and enlargement of the right side of the heart.
Given her age and progressively limiting symptoms, doctors recommended surgical intervention—not merely to manage the condition, but to safeguard her long-term quality of life.
A Highly Specialised, Life-Saving Surgery
The complex procedure was led by Dr. Amanul Haque, Consultant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, who opted for the advanced Cone Repair technique—a highly specialised surgery that reconstructs the patient’s own tricuspid valve rather than replacing it with an artificial one.
During the operation, the malformed valve leaflets were meticulously mobilised and reshaped into a cone-like structure before being reattached to the true valve annulus. This restored near-normal valve anatomy and function, effectively correcting the severe leakage while preserving the patient’s natural valve tissue.
Unlike valve replacement, the Cone Repair significantly reduces the risk of future reoperations and avoids long-term complications such as lifelong blood-thinning medication.
“The Cone Repair allows us to restore the valve almost anatomically while maintaining durability, as the patient’s own valve tissue continues to function naturally over time. For young patients, this makes a critical difference to long-term outcomes,” said Dr. Haque.
A Remarkable Recovery
Following the surgery, the patient has shown marked improvement. Her breathlessness has significantly reduced, heart function has improved, and she now enjoys better exercise tolerance. Currently recovering well, she is looking forward to resuming an active and unrestricted life.
A Testament to Advanced Cardiac Care
This rare and challenging case highlights how advanced surgical expertise, precise diagnosis, and patient-centric decision-making can dramatically transform outcomes—even in the most complex congenital heart conditions.
With successful interventions like this, CK Birla Hospitals – BM Birla Heart Hospital continues to reinforce its reputation as a centre of excellence in cardiac care, combining world-class medical technology with compassionate, human-focused treatment.
For one young woman from Kolkata, modern medicine didn’t just fix a heart defect—it restored hope, health, and the promise of a full life.
