“I’ll be eternally grateful” says man whose life was saved by new procedure for medics at Worcestershire Royal Hospital

A Worcestershire man’s life was saved by a brand-new procedure for medics at Worcestershire Royal Hospital after he suffered a massive pulmonary embolism and was rushed to the hospital.

After all other medical treatments for pulmonary embolism – a life-threatening condition when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your lungs – were unsuccessful, Dr Rahul Chivate performed the first ever mechanical pulmonary thrombectomy at Worcestershire Royal Hospital saving Christopher Pretty’s life.

This procedure is only required in very rare and serious cases of pulmonary embolism which don’t respond to usual treatments. Mechanical pulmonary thrombectomies are usually only carried out at a few major trauma centres in the country.

When Christopher suddenly found he couldn’t breathe one morning, his wife called an ambulance which rushed him to Worcestershire Royal Hospital. Having been stabilised in the hospital’s A&E department he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Christopher was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and the interventional radiology team got to work trying to remove the blood clots from Christopher’s lungs.

However, when the typical method of thrombolysis – a drug treatment used to dissolve dangerous blood clots – was not clearing his embolism, Consultant Interventional Radiologist, Dr Chivate and Consultant Anaesthetist, Dr Shiju Mathew realised a mechanical pulmonary thrombectomy would be the only way to save Christopher’s life.

In a mechanical pulmonary thrombectomy a thin tube is inserted into a large vein and guided through the heart to the blood clot to remove it. The aim is to rapidly remove the blockage and restore blood flow as quickly as possible to reduce strain on the heart.

After eight hours of removing his blood clot, improving his circulation and stabilising Christopher, he was returned to the Intensive Care Unit to recover from his ordeal.

Dr Rahul Chivate, Consultant Interventional Radiologist and Clinical Lead for Interventional Radiology said: “Christopher had a very big pulmonary embolism extending from his main pulmonary artery into both his right and left main arteries causing a blockage of blood to the lungs. We tried thrombolysis but his pulmonary embolism did not respond to this form of treatment. The only treatment that could save his life in this case was a mechanical pulmonary thrombectomy.

“We have not performed a mechanical pulmonary thrombectomy before at Worcestershire Royal Hospital as this treatment is so rarely needed and is only suitable if all other medical interventions have not worked.”

Due to the severity of Christopher’s blood clots, there was still the possibility of brain damage, and the next day Christopher was woken up surrounded by his wife and daughter.

Christopher said: “When I was woken up I saw my wife, held her hand and said ‘what are you doing in hospital?’. During that afternoon and for the ensuing days I became fully aware of the wonderful treatment and care I was receiving. I had many visits from a range of staff and I asked all of them if they had been involved in saving my life. They had all contributed and most were very surprised at my quick recovery. One of the nurses suggested that I should buy a lottery ticket.

“The senior staff told me how lucky I had been and how difficult the procedure had been. I personally thanked the doctors who had worked so hard to save my life. I continued to be monitored in the ICU and the level of care was exceptional. My condition continued to improve and I was kept informed of developments at all stages. I was told that with some sensible options, I could make a full recovery albeit my heart would have a slightly reduced capacity due to the lengthy procedures that had been undertaken.”

Just four days after his pulmonary embolism, Christopher was discharged from hospital and was fit enough to recover in the comfort of his own home. Weeks later he continues to be seen by blood specialists at Worcestershire Royal Hospital for outpatient appointments and has received follow-up scans and medication. 

Christopher added: “The care that I have received has been first class across the board. The ICU staff were incredible. I witnessed teamwork at the highest level, everyone was ready to help each other and the spirit of cooperation was magnificent. I saw calmness and professionalism despite the urgency of the situation. I have had five-star treatment at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and their professional staff have saved my life. I will be eternally grateful.”

Following the first mechanical pulmonary thrombectomy, a new Pulmonary Embolism Response Team will be formed at Worcestershire Royal Hospital which will help improve the response to patients suffering pulmonary embolisms. Plans are also in place to upgrade the Interventional Radiology Suite at the hospital.

Dr Chivate explained: “We are forming a Pulmonary Embolism Response Team with medical expertise from intensive care, cardiology, respiratory, and interventional radiology which will significantly help outcomes and improve response times for patients with pulmonary embolisms from across Worcestershire and Herefordshire. We also expect an upgrade of our Interventional Radiology Suite at Worcestershire Royal Hospital next year which will allow us to bring even more complex life-saving procedures to our patients.”