64-Year-Old Man Saved from Life-Threatening Abdominal Aneurysm

Zlatko Genov is 64 years old. Six years ago, he was diagnosed with an abdominal aneurysm that continued to grow, placing pressure on his internal organs. Over the years, he lost more than 20 kilogrammes.

His wife, Penka Genova, described the condition as a “ticking time bomb”.

“This is a ticking time bomb. At any moment, that bomb — the aneurysm — could explode, and there would be nothing I could do. Six years ago, I was forced to leave my job and devote myself entirely to caring for him.”

Zlatko Genov:

“It was life-threatening. My medical documents were sent to Turkey, and they said the operation could not be performed.”

His wife added:

“For six years we lived with the thought that it could not be operated on and that one day he would die. He kept losing weight and no longer had the will to live.”

A month ago, doctors at St Catherine University Hospital restored that hope.

“A miracle happened. Zlatko was operated. The operation was successful,” said Penka Genova.

Zlatko added:

“If it hadn’t been for her, I would have already been with Saint Peter.”

We have been together for 40 years. I grew up with him,” his wife said.

A team led by Prof. Valentin Govedarski gave Zlatko a second chance at life. The operation lasted more than five hours. The aneurysm measured 20 centimetres in length and 10 centimetres in width.

“In the abdominal cavity, I would say that we have never operated on such an aneurysm before,” said Prof. Govedarski, Head of a Clinic at St Catherine University Hospital.

“We were confident that we could manage the operation. Most importantly, the family understood clearly that if the aneurysm ruptured, the chances of saving him would be almost none. By taking the risk of operating, he had every chance of recovering and doing well afterwards — and that is exactly what happened.”

Zlatko is now back at home and looking forward to the birth of his third grandchild.