This pioneering surgery is being sent for publication in medical journals.
In the first instance of its kind in India, a Hyderabad-based renowned cardiac surgeon, Dr. Prateek Bhatnagar, and his team successfully performed a 'Coronary Bypass Surgery'' on a 63-year-old patient who has recently recovered from COVID-19.
This patient, Afsar Khan, a resident of Karwan in Hyderabad's Old City, was admitted at the government Gandhi Hospital in April for 21 days, suffering from COVID-19, and had a severe heart condition after he tested negative following coronavirus recovery.
"We are sure that this is the first of its kind coronary bypass surgery on a COVID-19 recovered patient. The main worry for us was the function of the lungs, particularly in those who had LRTI ( Lower Respiratory Tract Infection), like this patient. After recovery from COVID-19, the lungs in such patients continue to show some pathological abnormalities like pulmonary fibrosis,'' explained Dr. Prateek Bhatnagar, the Director of Cardiac Surgery and Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Care Hospital in Hyderabad.
The 'beating heart' surgery technique was used in this triple bypass surgery.
"By using the technique of beating heart surgery, the use of the heart-lung machine was excluded. This prevented the risks of "pump lungs", which may happen in high-risk patients like this. The use of arterial grafting should provide long term benefits too,'' added Dr. Bhatnagar.
This patient, Afsar Khan, had been having coronary artery and chest pain on exertion for about a year. In November 2019, he underwent CT coronary angiography which showed blocks in all three coronary arteries of the heart. After successful treatment for COVID-19 in April end, his heart symptoms increased and in May he developed unstable angina. With increased chest pain, he underwent coronary angiography again in June which showed blocks in the left main coronary artery, a 100 % block in the LAD coronary artery, as well as a tight block in the right coronary artery.
"We were very scared. It was a double whammy for us. First COVID-19 and then immediately followed by this heart condition. Now we are very relieved that within four days of surgery, he is being discharged. He is normal, right from the second day of the surgery,'' said Syed Khan, the son of the patient.
This pioneering surgery is being sent for publication in medical journals.
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 "Photo of Dr.Prateek Bhatnagar on the right to the patient, with his team who performed the surgery")
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