On the morning of September 17, Shenzhen Samii International Medical Center (The Fourth People’s Hospital of Shenzhen) received patients orderly as usual.

At 8:28, an unconscious old man was wheeled by several medical staff from the Health Maintenance Department to the Emergency Department at top speed.

“Excuse me! Doctor, please help my father!”

A race against time to rescue life immediately initiated.

The old man, whose surname is Li, is 64 years old. On the morning of September 17, he was accompanied by his son to the Health Maintenance Department for a physical examination due to discomfort. Unexpectedly, he fainted suddenly without warning while resting.

The medical staff of the Health Maintenance Department quickly came forward, and judged that the patient was in cardiac arrest. They performed cardiac compressions immediately, and fetched the AED (automated external defibrillator) set up in the hall of the department for defibrillation. At the same time, they called the Emergency Department for help.

The medical staff of the Emergency Department rushed to the Health Maintenance Department. With cooperation between both departments, the old man could finally open his eyes after more than ten minutes. Then, the old man was wheeled into the Emergency Department.

In the Emergency Department, an ECG showed that the old man still had ventricular tachycardia and required further treatment, otherwise he would still be at life-threatening risk.

The physicians of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department arrived at the Emergency Department in just 3 minutes after receiving the call. After communication with physicians of the Emergency Department and the Health Maintenance Department, the patient was preliminarily diagnosed as coronary artery blockage, and the physicians immediately decided to perform a cardiac angiography to check the condition of his heart vessels.

The physicians learned from his son that the old man had received a heart stent surgery in June 2019 in another hospital, with 3 stents placed in his heart.

In the DSA Interventional Operating Room, the Medical Imaging Department was well prepared for this emergency interventional surgery.

After the preoperative preparation, two physicians of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department put on protective lead suits weighing 15 kg and entered the operating room.

Coronary angiography showed serious secondary stenosis developed in the patient’s stents. Considering the patient’s thin blood vessels, the physicians decided to give him drug-coated balloon therapy after communicating with the patient’s family.

The drug-coated balloon was designed for restenosis or small vessel disease after stent surgery. The surface of the balloon was covered with a drug coating to prevent excessive proliferation of vascular intima, thereby preventing restenosis.

After the balloon was placedin, the blood vessels were sufficiently dilated, and secondary stenosis of the stents was significantly resolved.

Hemadostenosis before operation

Returned to unobstructed state after operation

After surgery, the patient was admitted to the ward of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department for follow-up observation and treatment.

In the communication with his family, the medical staff learned that the old man did not keep good life and eating habits after the heart stent surgery, did not give up smoking and drinking, and stayed up all night the day before the coma. If he fainted at home this time and suffered delayed rescue, the consequences would be unimaginable. After surgery, the old man’s condition stabilized.