A Life-Saving Journey: A Singaporean Patient’s Battle with Heart and Kidney Failure in Beijing
Heart and kidney are two of the body’s most critical “engines.” The failure of either can threaten life. For 62-year-old Mr. Zhu from Singapore, both organs were failing at the same time, and he found himself in a life-threatening situation. Thanks to the multidisciplinary collaboration at Fuwai Hospital in Beijing, his life was saved through a seamless combination of advanced medical techniques and expert teamwork.
A Crisis: Heart and Kidney Failure
Mr. Zhu had been suffering from chest tightness and shortness of breath for nearly six years. After consulting several hospitals, he was diagnosed with “dilated cardiomyopathy” and had been undergoing regular medication treatment. However, in June of this year, his condition rapidly deteriorated. Over the course of three months, his symptoms worsened, and his family rushed him to Fuwai Hospital’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Department in Beijing.
Upon admission, a series of assessments revealed that Mr. Zhu was in end-stage heart failure, with his heart on the brink of stopping. Heart transplantation was identified as the only viable option to save his life. To make matters worse, the worsening heart failure led to acute kidney failure, making the treatment process even more complicated.
A Team Effort: Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Faced with the complexity of heart and kidney failure, Fuwai Hospital quickly activated its multidisciplinary collaboration mechanism. Mr. Zhu was immediately transferred to the Cardiac Surgery ICU, where an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was placed to support his circulation and buy critical time for further treatment.
A joint decision was made between the Cardiac Surgery and Nephrology Departments. Dr. Gu Yue’s team from Nephrology swiftly initiated continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), using slow ultrafiltration to remove toxins from his body and regulate his fluid balance. This therapy not only relieved the fluid burden on his tired heart but also gradually stabilized his internal environment, laying the groundwork for heart transplantation.
With the combined efforts of the multidisciplinary team, Mr. Zhu’s condition steadily improved, and his coagulation function and electrolyte levels returned to stable ranges. After more than a month of adjustment and waiting, he was successfully matched with a heart donated by a brain-dead patient. The transplant team at Fuwai Hospital immediately began preparations for the transplant surgery.
The Night Before Surgery: A Race Against Time
At 11 PM the night before the transplant, Dr. Hu Junlong, Deputy Director of the Cardiac Surgery Department, led a team to retrieve the donor heart from a hospital hundreds of kilometers away. After evaluating and maintaining the heart, they carefully transported it back to Fuwai Hospital for the transplant.
The moment the donor heart was carefully placed into Mr. Zhu’s chest, Professor Cheng Zhaoyun and the surgical team worked with focused precision, stitching the heart into place. The team’s meticulous work and seamless coordination ensured a successful procedure. When the aortic clamp was released, the donor heart began to beat again — a sign of hope.
Post-Surgery Challenges and Breakthroughs
However, the challenges didn’t end there. After the surgery, Mr. Zhu was transferred to the Cardiovascular ICU, but he still had no urine output. The new heart was under pressure due to volume overload, and the usual use of immunosuppressants was not feasible. To solve this, CRRT was maintained to support kidney function, but bleeding risk post-surgery posed a concern.
Dr. Gu Yue’s team carefully evaluated his condition and decided to use citrate anticoagulation for the extracorporeal circulation system. This solution specifically targeted the blood circuit and allowed CRRT to continue “detoxifying” without affecting Mr. Zhu’s internal coagulation function. This approach resolved the critical issues faced by post-cardiac surgery patients, successfully protecting both heart and kidney functions.
A New Life: From Crisis to Recovery
Today, Mr. Zhu’s vital signs have stabilized, and he has successfully been weaned off CRRT. His energy levels have improved, and he is smiling again. The road to recovery is well underway, and discharge is just around the corner. His survival story, overcoming heart and kidney failure, has become a beacon of hope for other patients facing multi-organ failure.
This “medical miracle” showcases the powerful collaboration of Fuwai Hospital’s cardiovascular expertise and the seamless coordination of multiple departments. The success of treating this critically ill patient was made possible by the multidisciplinary team’s efforts: preoperative mechanical circulatory support and CRRT, intraoperative precision, and post-surgery intensive monitoring. This integrated approach allowed the life of a patient on the brink of death to be saved.