The replacement of defective heart valves of a 34 year old woman using minimal invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) at Manipal Hospital here is yet another milestone in the surgical history of the city which is fast emerging as a medical hub.
Addressing a press conference, cardiothoracic surgeon Dilip Kumar Ratti said that the woman underwent the minimal invasive procedure for the replacement of cardiac valves on July 26.
Dr. Dilip Kumar explained that in the traditional surgery a 20 cm incision was made across the chest and a saw was used to cut the chest bone to reach the heart.
The incision left a huge scare behind.
In the MICS however a small incision of 5 cm was made between the ribs. In the traditional surgery the length of hospital stay was between eight and 12 days and three to four months were required for the patients to resume activity, but in the MICS the hospital stay was reduced to between four and five days and the patients could resume activity in a month, Dr Dilip Kumar said.
The patient said that she came to the hospital with breathlessness and palpitations, but she could walk “comfortably without support” 48 hours after the MIC surgery.
