Operation by city doctors saves youth with rare genetic disorder

Doctors at Sion hospital operated on the heart of an 18-year-old patient suffering from a rare genetic disorder. The disorder led to very high levels of bad cholesterol in his body, and a potentially fatal heart condition.

Doctors at Sion hospital operated on the heart of an 18-year-old patient suffering from a rare genetic disorder. The disorder led to very high levels of bad cholesterol in his body, and a potentially fatal heart condition.

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Dharavi resident Subhan Raza was brought to the hospital in September with severe chest pain, breathlessness and small yellow patches on his body. "The patient was suffering from a rare genetic disorder called Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) in which due to deficiency of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, the bad cholestrol levels in his blood were unusually high and had got deposited at various sites in the body as well as in his aortic valve and both the coronary arteries," said Dr Pratap Nathani, head of cardiology, Sion Hospital.

"Raza's aortic valve was significantly narrowed due to the bad cholesterol deposition. We had to clear the 99% and 60% blockages in his right and left coronary arteries respectively. The condition led to inadequate blood supply to his heart," said Dr Ajay Mahajan, associate professor of cardiology. According to doctors, FH occurs in one in a million people in the world.