The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : 58-year-old man undergoes rare third bypass surgery at CARE Hospital

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 28, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

58-year-old man undergoes rare third bypass surgery at CARE Hospital

Special Correspondent

Arterial grafts instead of veins used in surgery

HYDERABAD: A 58-year-old person underwent a rare third bypass surgery at CARE Hospital here recently. Doctors, led by Prateek Bhatnagar, performed the surgery by using beating heart method and arterial grafts, instead of veins.

Three blocks

The patient, Kista Reddy, who had three blocks, underwent the first surgery in 1994 when veins from legs were used to perform the bypass. However, he developed angina again and had to undergo another surgery in 1997, said Dr. Bhatnagar, chief cardiac surgeon.

After remaining well for a few years, he developed angina again and angiography revealed that the veins used in earlier bypass surgeries had stopped working. Dr. Bhatnagar told The Hindu that the only option left was to perform third surgery which needed skilful management by the team.

Using beating heart and total arterial revascularisation methods, the surgeons performed three bypasses by using arterial grafts taken from chest and forearm (radial arteries).

Dr. Bhatnagar emphasised that arterial grafts have a much longer life than vein grafts taken from leg. He said that beating heart method allows bypass operation to be done without the need for open heart surgery.

He said that only 30 per cent of vein grafts work after 10 years, whereas 90 per cent of arterial grafts function even after 20 years.

Mr. Kista Reddy, who underwent the surgery on July 9, said that recovery was faster this time when compared to the previous two surgeries.

Dr. Bhatnagar said Mr. Reddy would not have required the third surgery had arterial grafts been used during previous operations.

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