Three Heart Stories, One Message: Don't Miss a Beat

Bengaluru, Sep 25 : Three cardiac patients shared deeply personal accounts of illness, treatment and recovery at a heart-awareness programme here on Friday, underscoring a common message: do not ignore warning signs of heart disease.

At Fortis Hospital's "Attack The Attack – Every Beat. Every Warning" programme, Kiran Kumar's wife recounted how her husband survived a massive heart attack and eventually underwent a heart transplant, made possible by an unknown donor family.

She said Kiran suffered a massive heart attack on May 7. The previous day, he had been taken to a local hospital, where his condition was reportedly diagnosed as severe gastritis and an ECG was said to be normal.

As his condition did not improve, the family took him to BGS Gleneagles Hospital, where a team led by Dr Ravindranath Reddy took over his treatment. Kiran spent about eight days in the ICU in critical condition and underwent stenting.

The family was later informed that the crucial "golden hour" had been missed, with nearly 48 hours having elapsed while the cause of his condition was being determined. Doctors subsequently treated complications involving his heart, lungs and kidneys, but his condition eventually necessitated a heart transplant.

"During that crucial moment, the family support, the medical support, everything was teamwork and successfully heart transplant was done," she said.

The transplant, she said, gave the family back its husband and father.

"My children are not missing his father. I'm not missing my husband, and it's all just because of the organ donation," she said, expressing gratitude to the medical team and the donor family, whose identity remains unknown to her.

Another patient, Dr Sunny Puvaya, spoke about discovering a serious cardiac condition despite having no history of hypertension or diabetes and being a national-level athlete.

He said mild chest tightness and breathlessness prompted him to undergo medical tests, which revealed a cardiac problem. Following an angiography, he sought opinions from seven cardiologists and cardiac surgeons before approaching Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, for treatment.

Dr Puvaya said Dr Sudarshan GT explained his condition in simple terms, giving him confidence to proceed with robotic cardiac surgery.

"When he asked me what I would like to do next, I said I would like to get that fixed. When? I said, 'as of yesterday'," he recalled.

He also praised the doctors, nurses and support staff for what he described as a "wonderful experience".

Rajendra Krishnamurthy, another cardiac patient, recounted his surprise after doctors at Gleneagles BGS Kengeri Hospitals detected two blockages in his heart.

He said doctors Ravindranath Reddy, Prasad and their team counselled him throughout the treatment and helped make the procedures smoother.

Rajendra said several routine cardiac tests he had undergone in recent years, including ECGs and echocardiograms, had been normal.

"I thought the person looks fit, maybe heart could be fit. So that's a misconception," he said, stressing that physical fitness does not necessarily rule out heart disease.

Urging people not to dismiss even minor symptoms, he said, "Time is essence. Please do not neglect any simple experiences that you may have."

The three testimonies brought a human dimension to the "Every Beat. Don't Miss a Beat" heart-awareness campaign, highlighting different realities of cardiac disease — from a fit athlete discovering a serious heart condition to an apparently healthy individual being diagnosed with blocked arteries, and a critically ill patient receiving a second chance at life through organ donation.

The accounts collectively stressed the importance of recognising warning signs early, seeking timely medical attention and, where possible, supporting organ donation.