Kolkata Woman Survives Rare TB Cardiac Complication After Emergency C-Section at Manipal Hospital, Salt Lake

A 32-year-old female patient from Howrah, in her fourth pregnancy at 35+ weeks with a history of three uncomplicated previous deliveries, was brought to Manipal Hospital, Salt Lake, a unit of Manipal Hospitals Network, one of India’s top healthcare providers, on 1st September 2025. She was admitted under the care of Dr. Nandini Chakrabarti, Consultant Obstetrician, Manipal Hospital Salt Lake, with an acute and severe onset of dyspnea (sudden, severe shortness of breath). Though she had been on regular follow-up at a government hospital, her critical condition required immediate advanced intervention at Manipal Hospital.
The patient had a history of tubercular pericardial effusion, (a rare condition where tuberculosis causes fluid, the builds around the heart). The patient had developed pulmonary tuberculosis in 2019 and had been on anti-tubercular treatment since 8th August 2025. Her heart was found to be very weak, pumping at only about 30% of its normal strength, with poor overall movement of the heart muscle as seen on echocardiography. On admission, the patient was critically ill, and the obstetric evaluation revealed severe growth restriction and evidence of fatal distress.
Given the urgency of the situation, the Obstetric, Cardiology, Gynecology and Anaesthesiology teams swiftly coordinated for joint intervention. The patient was transferred to the ICU for stabilization. After in-depth counselling of the relatives of the patient, a decision was made for emergency caesarean section.
The patient was taken to the operation theatre under advanced life support algorithms. Within 15 minutes of the emergency Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) under general anaesthesia, a baby weighing 2.1 kg was delivered and handed over to the neonatal team. The presence of thick, greenish amniotic fluid showed that the baby was in distress. The baby, who required resuscitation and ventilation support initially, was admitted to NICU with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) but improved later and was weaned off ventilation by the second day.
Conversely, the mother was kept on intubation overnight to prevent cardiac decompensation and managed on salt-restricted diet and fluid restriction. She was successfully extubated the next day. Both mother and child stabilized by the sixth postoperative day and were discharged on the tenth day of admission.
Dr. Nandini Chakrabarti, Consultant Obstetrician, Manipal Hospital, Salt Lake, who managed the case, said, “It was very complex managing this case since the mother was fighting a rare TB-related cardiac condition in addition to severe foetal compromise. Timely decision-making and smooth coordination between our obstetrics, cardiology, anesthesiology, and neonatal departments helped us stabilize the mother, deliver the baby safely, and save both lives.”
This successful intervention highlights Manipal Hospital’s unwavering commitment to advanced mother and childcare. By combining the expertise of cardiology, obstetrics, anaesthesiology, and neonatology with the support of emergency laboratory tests and cutting-edge obstetric ultrasound facilities, the hospital ensures that even the rarest and most complex emergencies are handled with precision and compassion. More than just medical excellence, it is this holistic and human-centered approach that safeguards both mother and child during their most critical moments.