Saharanpur – Doctors at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Dehradun, have given a new lease on life to 31-year-old Kirti Malik from Saharanpur, who was suffering from severe pneumonia due to swine flu and was on the highest level of ventilator support.
In a landmark medical intervention, the hospital successfully performed Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) – a life-support technique used in critical cases when the heart or lungs fail to function properly and cannot exchange oxygen independently.
This marks the first time ECMO has been performed in Max Super Speciality Hospital, Deheradun. The case was led by Dr. Vaibhav Chachra, Principal Consultant, Pulmonology, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Dehradun, Dr. Richa Lohani (ECMO Physician) along with their multidisciplinary team.
Ms. Kirti had been experiencing severe breathing difficulties and was undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Saharanpur. However, with no signs of improvement, the doctors referred her to Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dehradun, for advanced medical intervention.
Upon her arrival on January 2025, she was in a critical condition, suffering from severe lung damage due to pneumonia, which had led to dangerously low oxygen levels. She was immediately admitted on an emergency basis and shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Initially placed on a non-invasive ventilator, her condition rapidly deteriorated, requiring her to be put on an invasive ventilator.
Further medical evaluation revealed that she had contracted swine flu, further complicating her situation.
In a race against time, after thorough consultation with her family, the team of doctors decided to proceed with ECMO support.
Commenting on the case, Dr. Vaibhav Chachra, Principal Consultant, Pulmonology, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Dehradun said, “This is one of the challenging cases we encounter. The patient’s survival depended on precise coordination, swift decision-making, and the expertise of our multidisciplinary team. Swine flu can quickly become life-threatening if not treated on time and can lead to death. Our team placed her on ECMO—an advanced life-support technology similar to dialysis, which removes impure blood, purifies it, and supplies oxygen-rich blood back into the lungs. After six days on ECMO, her condition gradually improved. The lung inflammation subsided, and both damaged lungs began to heal. Following a month-long battle, she was finally discharged in stable condition on February 10. She now leads a normal, healthy, and completely disease-free life.
Dr. Chachra further emphasised, “No illness should be ignored, no matter how minor it seems—especially viral fevers or simple pneumonia, as they can escalate into life-threatening conditions if left untreated. In this case, if Kirti had not received timely ECMO support, she would not have survived.”
Max Super Specialty Hospital, Dehradun, continues to demonstrate excellence in managing complex and critical cases with exceptional precision and care.
