Kurdish war veteran Alee Malabas came on a mission of peace to Chennai. Before you rush to conclusions, learn that this 65-year old retired veteran from Kurdistan, Iraq, came to hush the murmur in his heart and restore it to its steady, peaceful rhythm.
He had two unrelated issues that needed correction. His coronary artery was blocked and his mitral valve had shrunk sufficiently to cause the murmur. Once doctors told him that he needed surgery, his son went online and found on YouTube a video of a surgeon in Chennai performing a complex valve replacement surgery using a robot. Robotic surgery meant small incisions and the frail Mr. Malabas would not have to undergo the traumatic lengthier incision (about 22 cms) of traditional surgery.
The surgeon on the video was R. Ravi Kumar, director, Institute of Cardio Vascular Disease, Chettinad Health City.
In a surgery that lasted two hours longer than traditional cardiac surgery, Dr. Ravi Kumar used just his thumb and forefinger and a robot to tackle both problems.
On September 21, the team at Chettinad put the patient on a heart lung machine and, through a small incision through the left of his chest, fused the mammary artery with the coronary artery, restoring blood flow to the heart. The robot was then shifted to the right side so that the mitral valve could be repaired.
“The big advantage is that since the sternum (breast bone) was not split and the chest wall cut for over 22 cm, his recovery was much more rapid. He was ready to be discharged in five days, but developed a kidney problem that had to be corrected as well,” Dr. Ravi Kumar said.
Mr. Malabas is able to walk without shortness of breath and is slowly recouping his strength. He is thankful to the hospital and Dr. Ravi Kumar and his team.
