“Any major surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia triggers the adrenergic system of the body which puts stress on the cardiovascular system. This is by increasing heart rate blood pressure and clotting tendency in the body. Persons with pre-existing heart disease may at times not be able to withstand this insult and develop a heart attack during or soon after the surgery. This risk is further enhanced by stoppage of blood thinning medication to reduce the bleeding from the wound,” Dr Atul Mathur, Executive Director – Interventional Cardiology and Chief of Cath Lab, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla, New Delhi says in an interview with HT Digital.Heart attack can get triggered due to pulmonary embolism, a condition where a blood clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. “During the surgery, patients are extremely stressed out. However, when you don’t move around clots form in the veins of lower limbs. This is called as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If this clot gets dislodged from there and goes to the lung arteries this can block the blood flow to the lungs. This condition is usually called Pulmonary Embolism,” Dr Ankur Phatarpekar, Director Cath Lab & Interventional Cardiologist, Symboisis, Hospital told HT Digital. “The symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, chest pain. If this is left untreated, the mortality rate is up to 30% but in case it is treated early the mortality rate is 8%. Physical activity and blood thinners are given prophylactically can help prevent clot formation,” adds Dr Phatarpekar.Dr Mathur says this is the reason all patients undergoing major surgeries are screened for their ability to withstand this surgical stress by performing cardiac stress tests if they are above 40 years age or a simple echocardiogram in others. “On this basis they can be stratified for the risk of heart attacks related to the surgery and necessary precautions can be taken,” adds the expert.
