Siddaganga seer undergoes liver stent surgery

Bengaluru, Jan 27: Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumar Swami underwent a surgery on Friday where three stents were inserted into his liver tube.

The 110-year-old seer was operated upon at 3.30 pm at the BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals in Kengeri. The surgery took around 40 minutes.

According to the doctors who performed the surgery, this is the fourth such procedure on the seer, who has five stents from earlier operations.

"This time, the three stents were inserted within the previous stents," said Dr Ravindra B S, chief of medical gastroenterology, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals.

He added that the seer was shifted to the ward at 5 pm and is under observation.

A team of eight doctors conducted the endoscopy procedure, he said.

"Swami is diagnosed with pneumonia, kidney issues, blockage of the liver tube and now has low blood pressure. He has to be under observation for the night before he is discharged," said Dr Ravindra.

The seer was admitted to the hospital at 9 am on Friday.

He was brought to the hospital with complaints of fever, low blood pressure and low oxygen levels since the previous day. He has also had a persistent cough for the past two days.

The doctors had run tests, including CT scan, ultrasound, and X-rays.

In September 2017, the seer was admitted to the same hospital, with initial diagnosis showing that he had problems with the kidneys and pancreas, infection in the lungs, gallbladder, and liver, with an obstruction in the liver tube.

He was also found to be suffering from jaundice. Dr Ravindra and his team had stabilised him, and further diagnostic tests were conducted to completely assess the situation.

After the assessment, the doctors had decided to insert two more stents in addition to three stents which were inserted in May to clear the blockage in the liver tube.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa visited the pontiff at the hospital and enquired with doctors about his health.