Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) performed its first video-assisted, minimally-invasive valve replacement surgery on a 30-year-old man, recently.
The department of cardio-thoracic surgery purchased equipment worth Rs. 35 lakh under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS).
Gopi, a resident of Singaperumal Koil, Kancheepuram, was admitted to GH with complaints of breathlessness and chest pain on March 10. He was diagnosed with calcified mitral valve stenosis caused by rheumatic fever.
Normally, the sternum or the central chest bone is opened to perform such a complex surgery.
“Considering the patient was a painter by profession, we decided not to cut the sternum as he could face difficulty in his work. We performed a minimally-invasive procedure with a 4-cm incision to replace the diseased valve,” said K.S. Ganesan, professor of cardio-thoracic surgery at GH.
A team of surgeons performed the surgery on April 29.
A probe for trans-oesophageal echocardiography, which is introduced into the oesophagus via the mouth, giving a view of the heart from behind, was purchased at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh.
Video thoracoscopy equipment worth Rs. 15 lakh was also purchased, he said.
Using video thoracoscopy, a small camera was introduced into the left atrial cavity to visualise the interior of the heart.
This helped in monitoring during the surgery, including checking if the suturing was accurate, said Raja Venkatesh, head, cardio-thoracic surgery.
The procedure provided images magnified four times.
An intubating bronchoscope was used to collapse the right lung. The diseased valve was removed and a mechanical valve was implanted, said the surgeons.
Dr. Venkatesh said the funds generated through CMCHIS had enabled the department to get advanced equipment, with more in the pipeline.
The department performs nearly 600 valve replacements a year. After Gopi, two patients have undergone similar procedures.
