HealthAdmin9/23/2025
Thiruvananthapuram, September 23, 2025: Doctors at KIMSHEALTH performed a highly complex surgical procedure known as the Frozen Elephant Trunk (FET) on a 49-year-old patient diagnosed with aortic dissection, a serious condition caused by a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the large blood vessel branching off the heart.
The patient, a native of Kanpur, had previously undergone emergency surgery for acute aortic dissection. During a routine follow-up CT scan, doctors discovered that he had developed a new aortic arch and descending thoracic aortic dissection. To address this life-threatening situation, the medical team led by Dr. Shaji Palangadan, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, opted for the Frozen Elephant Trunk surgery — an advanced procedure designed to treat complicated thoracic aortic dissections.
“The surgery involves replacing the entire descending aorta along with the vital branch vessels supplying blood to the brain,” said Dr. Palangadan. In this case, where the tear occurred due to hypertension, the patient’s body temperature was cooled to 18–20°C, and the circulatory system for the lower body was temporarily halted for about 30 minutes while the necessary grafts were implanted.
The procedure, named for its resemblance to an elephant’s trunk, involves inserting a stent graft that extends into the descending aorta, allowing for effective replacement of the diseased segment and reducing the need for future surgeries. In simple terms, it involves replacing a weakened part of the descending aorta with a special graft while temporarily stopping blood circulation. After which the blood vessels to the right and left side of the brain and upper limb were re-implanted to the new graft.
The patient was kept on a ventilator for a day and later shifted to a room. He was discharged in stable condition after a 10-day hospital stay.
Dr. Vipin B. Nair, Consultant; Dr. Zaynah Zainuddin, Associate Consultant, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery; and Dr. Subash S. and Dr. Anil Radhakrishna Pillai, Consultants, Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia, were also part of the eight-hour-long surgery.