Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, Performs Rare Bloodless Combined Heart Surgery on a 69-year-old with Bombay Blood Group

Marking a rare milestone in advancing bloodless cardiac surgery, Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, has successfully performed a combined valve replacement and bypass surgery on a 69-year-old male with the extremely rare Bombay Blood Group, without the use of any blood transfusions. The patient is recovering well.

The patient had critical narrowing of the aortic valve due to heavy calcium deposition, leading to severe obstruction of blood flow from the heart. He also had significant blockages in the coronary arteries, leading to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. This necessitated both aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery.

The challenge was further heightened by the patient’s blood group. The Bombay blood group is one of the rarest in the world, occurring in approximately one in 10,000 individuals. First identified in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1952, its prevalence is around 0.01% in regions such as Mumbai, Odisha, and West Bengal. However, it is even rarer in South India, with an incidence of approximately 0.007%, making compatible blood availability extremely limited. In the event of excessive bleeding during surgery, the lack of compatible blood can be life-threatening. Consequently, performing complex cardiac surgeries in patients with the Bombay blood group poses a very narrow margin of safety.

However, with meticulous surgical planning and blood conservation strategies, the surgical team led by Dr. Anbarasu Mohanraj, Clinical Lead and Senior Consultant - Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, successfully performed the high-risk combined valve replacement and bypass surgery without using any blood products.

In his comments, Dr. Anbarasu Mohanraj said “This was an extremely challenging case due to the rarity of the Bombay Blood Group and the complexity of the surgery involved. We followed a strict, evidence-based blood conservation protocol which enabled us to perform the surgery without blood transfusions. It required meticulous surgical technique, precise anaesthetic management, and seamless coordination between the cardiac surgery, anaesthesia, perfusion, and nursing teams.”

Commending the team’s achievement, Dr. Aravindhan Selvaraj, Co-founder and Executive Director said: “This case is a testament to the exceptional expertise, advanced infrastructure, and teamwork at Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani. Managing such a high-risk patient successfully reflects our hospital’s commitment to delivering world-class cardiac care and handling the most complex medical challenges with confidence.”