Doctors at Nanavati Max Hospital Give New Lease of Life to 75-Year-Old after Severe Food Pipe Rupture
Mumbai, September 12, 2025: Doctors at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital saved the life of a 75-year-old cancer survivor, whose food pipe ruptured due to retching (forceful vomiting), by performing a minimally invasive endoscopic repair of his torn food pipe.
The patient visited multiple hospitals for 15 days, in the hope of getting better treatment after battling fever, breathlessness, and being treated for pneumonia and fluid collection around the lungs.
He was then brought to Nanavati Max Hospital in the Emergency in a serious condition. The patient was experiencing breathlessness that began after an episode of retching. It was suspected that the patient had suffered an oesophageal rupture due to a sudden increase in pressure within the food pipe. A chest scan confirmed a rare diagnosis- Boerhaave’s syndrome.
Dr. Harshad Limaye, Associate Director, Internal Medicine, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, said, “Boerhaave’s syndrome is a rupture of the oesophagus, usually followed by retching. It is a life-threatening surgical emergency with a high mortality rate. If left untreated, it may require an open‐chest oesophagectomy, which also carries significant risks. Given the leakage of contaminated fluid into the chest cavity, the high chances of infection, and the patient’s history of stomach cancer, the surgical team opted for a minimally invasive approach.”
A non-invasive endoscopic procedure was planned under the guidance of Dr. Gaurav Patil, Director – Gastroenterology & Flexible Endoscopic Surgery, Nanavati Max Super Speciality, Hospital, Mumbai.
Speaking on the treatment, Dr. Patil, said, “We passed the endoscope into the lower oesophagus, locating a linear tear wider than a fingertip. Using non-absorbable sutures and specialised needles, we created an intra-luminal stitch line to close the gap, all performed endoscopically (by inserting instruments into the mouth cavity). Such procedures are rarely attempted as gastric acids and constant swallowing of saliva makes a watertight closure notoriously difficult.”
The impact was immediate. Chest drainage stopped, infection markers fell, and the patient began sipping water the next day. Oral meals resumed within 48 hours, the chest tube was removed after one week, and the patient was discharged without a single external incision.
Dr. Patil, further advised, “In this case, the patient’s retching was due to his illness, but some people intentionally induce vomiting. Forceful vomiting carries real risks, it can cause tears in the food pipe, which may be life-threatening if not diagnosed quickly.”
Flexible endoscopic procedures are an excellent alternative to open surgeries, especially for elderly or immuno-compromised patients. In cases such as this one, early diagnosis and advanced interventions by a team of gastroenterologists, intensivists, and infectious disease specialists can achieve scar-less organ preservation and save the patient’s life without a scalpel.
About Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital:
The iconic healthcare institution of Mumbai, Dr. Balabhai Nanavati Hospital, blessed by Mahatma Gandhi and inaugurated in 1950 by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, is now reintroduced as Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital. Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital has been at the forefront of healthcare for 72 years. Today, the 350-bed facility housing 55 speciality departments offers a plethora of services in practically every field of modern medicine. Our well-equipped hospital rooms, state-of-the-art departments and technologically advanced systems are all backed by the expertise of over 350 consultants, 100 resident doctors, 475 nursing staff and 1500 employees. The Hospital also has region’s largest medical post-graduation program aimed to create well-trained, ethical, skilled, resourceful leaders dedicated to the passion of healing that will empower the future medical fraternity.
