Saalumarada Thimmakka being closely monitored after she undergoes angioplasty

Saalumarada Thimmakka, environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee, underwent an angioplasty (minimally invasive heart procedure) on Thursday.

Doctors at the Apollo Specialty Hospital, Jayanagar, noted that she remains critical and will be monitored in the intensive care unit (ICU) over the next few days. Although she is not on ventilator support, she has difficulty breathing.

Thimmakka, 112, was hospitalised on Tuesday after she complained of tiredness and breathlessness that was a result of being severely asthmatic.

Early on Thursday morning, she reportedly suffered from continuous chest discomfort and pain and cardiac symptoms due to asthma, following which, operating doctors informed her family of the risks of operation due to her age and existing health conditions, said Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh, Vice President and Unit Head, Apollo Speciality Hospital.

A thorough evaluation and an angiogram (X-ray imaging to see blood flow through the heart's blood vessels) were conducted on the same day, where a blood clot blocking her left descending artery was discovered. Following this, the angioplasty procedure was performed.

A statement by the hospital confirmed that, due to her advanced age and fragility, she remains critical in the ICU and will be closely monitored by the doctors in the pulmonology and cardiology departments over the next 24 hours.