Back Pain During a Badminton Game: Mr. Michael’s Story

Mr. Michael was playing badminton when he suddenly felt an unusual pain in his back. That pain marked the start of a journey that took him, still at a young age, to the operating room at Heartology. In a single operation, he underwent two major procedures on his aorta and its valve. In this short video, he shares his experience.

Back Pain in the Middle of a Game

While playing badminton, Mr. Michael felt a pain in his back that was different from usual, and then his body felt weak. He was quickly taken to the emergency department to be examined. The tests showed an acute tear in the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

This condition is known as aortic dissection, a tear in the inner layer of the aortic wall that allows blood to flow between the layers of the wall. In addition, Mr. Michael's aortic valve, the valve that controls blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta, was also severely damaged. Both conditions needed urgent treatment.

A Recommendation from Family

In that critical situation, his family played an important role. Mr. Michael's older sibling, who is also a doctor, knew one of the doctors at Heartology. “My older sibling is also a doctor, and knows a doctor here,” Mr. Michael says. On that recommendation, he was treated at Heartology. His sibling had also warned him that his condition would not be easy to treat.

At Heartology, Mr. Michael was treated by the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery team. He underwent two procedures at once in a single operation: a Bentall procedure and a total arch replacement. The Bentall procedure is an operation to replace the aortic valve and the root of the aorta with a single artificial tube that has a valve built in, and then reattach the coronary arteries to that tube. Total arch replacement replaces the aortic arch, the curved part of the aorta above the heart that branches toward the head and arms, with an artificial tube.

Recovery After Surgery

After surgery, Mr. Michael was cared for in the ICU. He remembers the support of the team who looked after him there. “From the ICU on, all the doctors and nurses were very cooperative,” he says.

When the video was recorded, Mr. Michael was receiving outpatient care. He hoped to return to his activities as before the surgery, and he felt grateful for the chance he had been given.

Sudden back or chest pain that feels unusual, especially when accompanied by weakness, should be checked at an emergency department right away. Mr. Michael's experience shows that a prompt examination can help doctors find the cause and decide on the next steps.