50-Year-Old Brought to Life after Her Heart Stopped for 20 Minutes at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute

By Bipasha Mitra

The patient suffered a cardiac arrest at the operation table.

50 year-old Saraswati Devi had 90 per cent blockade in her heart and was diabetic.
Just before her heart bypass surgery commenced at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Devi had a cardiac arrest on the operation table itself.
Her stopped beating for the next 20 minutes and her blood pressure dropped to zero.
Without wasting a second, the doctors gave her heart massage for the next 20 minutes so that the heart does not stop pumping blood.
According to Dr. S.N Khanna, even stopping for second showed a straight line in the heart monitor.
In such a condition, the doctors were left with two choices: to go ahead with the surgery and inform her family or to perform the CABG on a still heart.
But the doctors went ahead with the second option. After the cardiac massage, they prepared for the surgery.
It took an extra 10 mins to then clean, intubate and open her rib cage to reach the heart.
Devi had no blood supply to her brain for as long as 10 minutes which could have led to severe irreversible damage.
It was only after she came to consciousness that the doctors realized that the surgery was successful.

Source: Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Media Update

Written by

Bipasha Mitra

Vaidam Health · Updated 25 Sept 2026

After completing her Bachelors Degree in English and PG Diploma in Journalism, Bipasha started her career in writing. With an eye for detail and a creative bent of mind, she emphatically crafts patient's stories, and pens blogs and articles understanding what the readers want to know and should know for their medical treatment.

Content meets the Vaidam Policy and is medically reviewed

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Surendra Nath KhannaCardiac Surgeon

Currently associated as the Associate Director, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fortis Escorts, New Delhi. One of the leading cardiac surgeon with expertise in Beating Heart Surgeries,Cardiac Valvular Surgery, Mitral Valve, Aortic Valve and Double Valve Replacements. Specializes in all types of adult cardiac surgical work . Special interests are Valve Repairs, Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, Aortic Aneurysm Surgery, and Heart-Failure Surgery Performed over 7,000 cardiac surgeries. Involved in the Community Outreach Services and creating mass awareness toward cardiac diseases for last 20 years.