A complicated heart surgery was performed and telecast live to Singapore from the Dr. LH Hiranandani Hospital in Powai on Thursday.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Ganesh Kumar and Dr. Irfan Khan from the hospital, on Kolhapur-based farmer Deepak Bandekar (55), while doctors from Singapore watched it. The patient was diagnosed with three blockages and the doctors used 1.5 to 2 mm stents to clear them. Mr. Bandekar suffered a heart attack in November.
“There was a time when Indian doctors were learning from doctors of other countries. Now, with all the research and development, India is capable of imparting medical knowledge to rest of the world,” Dr. Ganesh Kumar said.
The Hiranandani hospital also performed a transcatheter aortic heart valve surgery in December last year. What set the surgery apart was the use of an Indian-made artificial valve instead of an imported one.
Doctors said that the patient, Lata Prabhu (82) fainted in the kitchen and was diagnoased with a malfunctioning aortic heart valve, which required immediate replacement.
“The patient and her husband readily agreed to using Indian valves, as they believe in using and promoting Indian products,” Dr. Kumar said. The valve is made from bovine tissues and is at par with any imported valve in terms of quality. It also reduced the implant cost to ₹10 lakh, as opposed to ₹22 lakh for imported valves.
“Not only is this alternative way to replace the diseased valve cost effective, but is also well received by elderly patients who cannot undergo the traditional open heart surgery,” Dr. Kumar said.
