Doctors at Kauvery Hospital Radial Road in Chennai say they treated a 32-year-old woman who suffered a cardiac arrest during recovery from a minor procedure at another hospital, only to find the underlying cause was bleeding in the brain.

According to the hospital, the woman was resuscitated after the arrest but stayed unconscious, and her heart function was severely compromised. Further evaluation, including a CT angiogram, showed a brain haemorrhage caused by complex abnormalities in the blood vessels of the brain. The hospital says this also explained the cardiac arrest and the weak heart function.

The neurosurgery team, led by Dr Krish Sridhar, Group Mentor, Neurosciences, and Director of the Institute of Brain & Spine at Kauvery Hospital Radial Road, performed emergency surgery under advanced cardiac output monitoring. The hospital says the procedure involved securing a ruptured brain aneurysm and a rarely done surgical mechanical thrombectomy to clear an obstructed prominent venous channel. The neurosurgery and neuroanaesthesia teams worked closely throughout, given the patient’s weakened heart.

After surgery she was cared for in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit by a team led by Dr Ponniah Vanamoorthy, Head and Senior Consultant, Neuroanesthesiology & Neurocritical Care. The hospital says she improved steadily, including in cardiac function. Two months after the event, it says, she is near normal in daily functioning, can carry out routine activities independently and is preparing to return to her active life.

“Critical neurological conditions, especially bleeding in the brain, can sometimes affect the heart’s functioning and may present with cardiac arrest and poor cardiac function,” Dr Sridhar said. “In such situations, it is important to identify that the underlying cause is neurological rather than cardiac, as timely diagnosis will prevent delays in appropriate treatment.”

Dr Vanamoorthy said operating on a patient with severely compromised cardiac function “presents significant clinical challenges,” and that continued neuro-critical care in a specialised unit after surgery “helped support the patient’s recovery.”

Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said: “Managing complex medical emergencies requires the ability to recognise the underlying cause quickly and bring together the right clinical expertise at the right time.”

The release does not name the patient or the first hospital, say what the minor procedure was, or give the date of the surgery. It also gives no details of the aneurysm or the extent of her recovery beyond the hospital’s description. This is a single case reported by the treating hospital, and it should not be read as general medical guidance. Anyone with sudden severe headache, weakness, speech difficulty or collapse should seek emergency care.