Media Release

Mangaluru, May 15: A heart surgery through a small opening in the right side of the chest was successfully performed on a 16 year old girl from Alur at Fr Mullers Hospital. She was suffering from a birth defect of the heart and the procedure was done under the Vajpai Arogya Shree Scheme.

Fr Mullers Hospital authorities informed that this is the first time that such a surgery is being performed in the district. Unlike conventional heart surgery that is done by splitting the breast bone and a long incision in the middle of the chest, the keyhole surgery involves only a small opening 3 to 4 inches long on the right or left side of the chest. The operation was performed by connecting the patient to heart lung machine by tubes inserted through the leg and neck. No blood transfusions were given to the patient. This type of surgery is technically more difficult but gives a cosmetically superior scar and is especially attractive in young women.

The team of doctors was led by cardiac surgeons Dr A G Jayakrishnan, Dr Suraj Chavan, cardiac anaesthetist Dr Panchakshari Patil and cardiologist Dr H Prabhakar and Dr Sayyid . A trained team of nurses and perfusionist participated in the surgery which lasted 3 hours. Special equipments and instruments and skill are required to perform such procedures and these are available at Fr Mullers Hospital, Fr Richard Coelho administrator of the hospital said.