Heart surgeries can be traumatic. More than the surgery itself, people dread the post-operative period which can be quite painful. Further, the cost of an open-heart surgery could leave the household economy in disarray , not to speak of a 20-cm scar that patients have to live with.

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But there is some heartening news for them. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) is gaining currency in India. “This is difficult for surgeons but comfortable for patients. Though there are a few centres doing these procedures, cardiac surgeons have realised the importance of such procedures and are changing their mindset on the issue,” said Dr Gopichand Mannam, Managing Director, STAR Hospitals.

The hospital, which opened a dedicated MICS centre on Friday, is also organising a two-day international workshop on MICS to mark the event. Surgeons from Canada, the US and India are to attend the meet to understand and discuss the new way of conducting heart interventions.

Talking about the advantages of MICS at a press conference, Dr Gopichand said the procedure involved making a small scar below the nipple to reach the heart, unlike the huge cut made on the chest for cardiac surgeries. “Patients can go home in two days and can work in a couple of weeks,” he said.

Dr Marc Ruel, Professor at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, who pioneered MICS, said the loss of blood is far lesser in this procedure as against the standard format.

The procedure, however, costs Rs 25,000-50,000 more than the normal surgery. “But when volumes go up, this should come down,” Dr Gopichand said.

Risks: However, doctors doing such procedures should have back-ups in place to quickly go back to the traditional surgery should something go wrong during the less invasive procedure, which generally takes an hour more than the normal one.

> kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

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