20 Safar 1446 Hijri. 26th August 2024. The day of surgery
The date, 20th Safar. Oh, how do I tell you what this date meant for me yesterday? Yesterday marked one of the most challenging days of my life. It was the 26th of August, which coincided with the 20th of Safar on the Islamic calendar.
In a certain sect of Islam, this day is observed with a particular event that draws people out onto the streets in massive numbers, often in the hundreds and thousands. To ensure their security, the government imposes stringent measures, including barricading entire city areas and shutting down all mobile networks for over 30 hours.
We faced a severe test of patience and courage. With the communication networks down, we found ourselves cut off from each other, unable to contact or check on one another, feeling isolated and stranded.
Amidst this already stressful situation, my father was scheduled to undergo bypass surgery at 8 am on Monday, the 26th of August, corresponding to the 20th of Safar. We decided to take our family to the hospital ward early in the morning to see him one last time before his surgery.
Knowing that once he was taken to the Operation Theatre, no visitors would be allowed, we arrived at the hospital at 6 am. My brother had been staying overnight with him, as the hospital rules only permitted one attendant to stay with the patient.
At 6 am, we gathered around my father's bed, spending those precious final moments together. By 7 am, a ward boy arrived to take him to the preoperative room. As he was wheeled away, we all bid our farewells, holding back tears and trying to be strong for him.
Finally, at 9 am, the operation commenced. It was expected to be a seven-hour surgery, provided there were no complications. A bypass is known to be one of the most critical, life-saving procedures, but at the same time, it is also one of the most life-threatening surgeries.
Seven hours is a long time to wait. Since there wasn't a suitable place for the attendants to stay in the hospital, I suggested to my mother that we return home so she could rest. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, but I insisted, knowing she would need her strength. We returned home, and as expected, all she did was pray.
My brother and I were both wearing our scrubs. This is something crucial to remember when dealing with public hospitals: wearing scrubs can make things much easier for you compared to others. It gives you a certain level of access and recognition that is otherwise hard to come by.
We were granted access to the preoperative care room. My brother, who is already aspiring to become a cardiac surgeon, even went so far as to ask the surgeon if he could be present in the operating theatre. However, the surgeon firmly refused his request. I fully support the surgeon's decision. As a doctor, I can assure you that no surgeon wants a family member present during such critical procedures. The presence of a relative can be distracting, potentially increasing the pressure and stress on the surgical team, which is something that must be avoided at all costs.
During those seven hours, it was one of the most challenging times we had ever experienced together. We couldn't reach out to anyone; it felt as isolating as being in North Korea. All we could do was try to get some rest and pray for our dad. During this period, I realized that not many people actually understand what a bypass procedure is, so I thought it would be helpful to explain what a bypass really means.
Coronary artery "bypass" graft surgery |
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Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a procedure that helps improve blood flow to the heart when its arteries are blocked or narrowed. Imagine the heart as a pump that needs a constant supply of fuel (oxygen-rich blood) to function properly. The coronary arteries are like fuel lines, providing the heart with this essential blood.
Over time, these arteries can become clogged with fatty deposits called plaque, reducing blood flow. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, or even a heart attack.
CABG surgery works by creating a new pathway for blood to flow around the blockage. Surgeons take a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body, such as the leg or chest, and use it to bypass the blocked or narrowed artery.
This new vessel is like a detour, allowing blood to reach the heart more easily. The surgery can help relieve symptoms, improve heart function, and increase the patient's quality of life, making it easier for them to live a healthier, more active life.
Sometimes when more than one artery is blocked, the surgeon then decides to take multiple arteries, such as one from leg, one from hand etc. My dad had 3 arteries blocked in his heart.
This video will help you have a better understanding.
Around 4 pm, I received a WhatsApp call from my brother. Due to no mobile signals at the hospital, he had to leave, cross the road, and make the call from a restaurant that had very slow Wi-Fi. This was the call we had all been waiting for, for what felt like an eternity. He told me that the surgery had been successful and that Dad had been moved to the recovery room, although he was still unconscious.
I informed my mom, and she immediately started crying. We both offered prayers and then headed to the hospital. The roads were blocked, so we had to take an alternative route, which took us much longer than usual to get there.
When I arrived at the hospital, I rushed straight to the ICU to see my dad. He was on a ventilator. The image of him lying unconscious, with intubation and multiple IV lines in his body is still circulating in my mind.
I told my family members to get back home as my brothers were in the hospital since 6 am meanwhile I stayed the night in the hospital. Around 7 pm dad regained consciousness, the senior doctor visited and checked my dad's reflex according to the "Glasgow Coma Score."
Glasgow Coma Score |
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The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a simple test doctors use to check how awake and aware a person is. It helps measure how well someone can open their eyes, speak, and move. The test gives a score based on three things: eye-opening (do they open their eyes on their own?), verbal response (can they talk and make sense?), and motor response (can they move or respond to touch?). Each of these three categories gets a score, which is then added up to get a total score ranging from 3 to 15. A higher score means the person is more alert, while a lower score suggests a deeper unconsciousness.
Thank God, at 7 pm my dad's GCS was perfect. The doctor asked him to move his finger up, let his tongue out and move his toes to which he responded perfectly. They sedated him again and asked me respectfully to wait outside the ICU
At 9 pm, he regained consciousness again and that's the time they removed him off the Ventilator. In my life, that was the first time I have ever seen someone coming off the vent and that too my dad. It was a disturbing experience for me trying to control my tears.
I immediately rushed to the restaurant across the road and texted my family members on the group.
My brother texted me that he was leaving the house to visit Dad, with my mother accompanying him. Due to the lack of signal, he asked me to be at the gate in exactly 25 minutes to meet Mom. To make matters worse, it began to rain heavily. In Karachi, heavy rain only means one thing: the city gets flooded.
Meanwhile, I spent time with my dad, and he spoke to me. He was so perfectly oriented that I couldn’t contain my happiness. He talked to me as if nothing had happened. At that moment, I realized he is the bravest person I know.
Staying the night in the hospital yesterday had to be the most challenging thing for me. Constantly walking between the ICU and to that restaurant accross the road in order to get wifi signals to contact family members, whilst my dad lies there in the ICU. I wanted to feel pity for myself but I had to stay strong.
As a cherry on the top, I fell into an open gutter while walking. The water was too deep for me to located this manhole and my left leg went right inside it.
Time: 01:00 am
Right now I'm heading back to the hospital. Thank God, the mobike networks have returned and my dad is recovering at a good pace. The time in the ICU is one of the most critical time period after surgery. I request you all to pray for my dad's quick recovery.
Alhamdulillah. Congratulations on the successful surgery of your dad. I knew about angiography and angioplasty but nothing about how and why a Bypass is done. Although I just realized the term is pretty self-explanatory. Thank you for explaining medical terms in your blog, generally doctors don't bother whether non-doctors unserstand their jargon or not. 😀
The word "ventilator" is scary. I totally get what you felt about it.
Alhmdullilah. I think its of paramount importance that people learn about terms associated to their bodies and health (God forbid if they ever have to face anything of this sort)
Yes the word ventilator is indeed scary. I have seen multiple patients being on vent but to see someone coming off vent was something I had never thought about. It was a very strange feeling to shift a person from artificial breathing to natural breathing.
I thought of explaining the word 'ventilator' in this blog as well but I thought it might get a bit long. I'll do it in my next post.
It is hard situation when someone from family or close relative undergoing any surgeries but having heart surgery is one of the most difficult for relatives. I am glad that your whole family especially the children managed to do everything around the preparation and surgery, that took a lot of worries from your mother's mind and I am sure she felt well having you all around. Hope that recovery will go straight forward and your father will be back to himself, of course it might take sometime and he should not over strain himself. But I think he is in good hands, wishing him to get well soon!
Thank you so much for your prayers. Much needed. Indeed, we're trying our very best to not let our mom to stress out too much as her own health condition is a concern to us. Hopefully my dad will recover soon
I'm really glad to hear that he's recovering well, and I'll definitely keep him in my prayers.
JazaqAllah for this
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