Indian Architect Recovers After Suffering a Heart Attack On Board a Flight

S. Sadashivam was a senior architect on the expansion of the Rajiv Ghandi International Airport in Hyderabad, India. 

In May of last year, the 56-year-old was flying to the airport for a site visit, when he suffered a heart attack on board the short flight. Upon landing in Hyderabad, he was stabilized at a clinic at the airport then rushed by ambulance to Apollo Hospital.

Dr. Karunakar Rapolu and his team were ready and waiting for Sadashivam’s arrival. They performed a primary angioplasty, placing stents with the help of an intra-aortic balloon pump. But Sadashivam’s blood pressure was still weak. 

Dr. Rapolu then decided to increase support by inserting Impella CP® with SmartAssist®, which gave Sadashivam’s heart a chance to rest and recover. Less than 24 hours later, the device was removed, and Sadashivam has since made a complete recovery.

He’s back with his family and friends, while continuing to lead major architectural design projects across India.