A 75-year-old frail man who underwent liver transplant surgery two months ago, returned to hospital for treatment of heart attack. Subramaniam Raju had been operated on during the transplant surgery for a block in the heart too. “We found a block in a blood vessel in the heart and inserted a stent. Post-surgery the patient had a difficult recovery and he was on immuno suppressants” said cardiac surgeon Sandeep Attawar of Global Hospitals.
When he came for treatment of heart attack, doctors had a challenge: his diabetes was uncontrolled, he had several blocks in his heart and an open-heart surgery was not possible. “We entered sideways through the ribcage instead of cutting open the breastbone. This requires skill that a surgeon acquires over a period of time,” said Dr. Attawar, who performed the procedure last week. He has recently taken over as director of heart surgery at the hospital. Mr. Raju returned home two days later and participated in a press conference held at the hospital on Thursday.
According to Dr. Attawar, in developed countries surgeons and hospitals focus on minimally invasive procedures which not only reduce hospital stay but also enable speedy recovery for the patient. The benefits are manifold for the patients – they return to work earlier, save money on hospitalisation and do not have to contend with ugly scars.
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K. Ravindranath, chairman and managing director of Global Hospitals group, inaugurated the centre for minimal access cardiac surgeries.