*JJ Hospital performs state 's first minimally invasive heart bypass surgery*

 *Mumbai:* A 56-year-old forensic technician became the first patient in public hospitals in Maharashtra to undergo a minimally invasive heart bypass surgery at JJ Hospital.

The Khandeshwar resident had a 90% blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and was advised to have bypass surgery to improve blood flow to the heart. While the conventional method for heart bypass surgery requires cutting the chest bone, minimally invasive surgery does not.

"Umakant Karke was referred to us early this month by our cardiology department as stenting was not an option in his case. Since it was a single blood vessel of the heart that was blocked, we decided to go for the minimally invasive procedure," said Dr. Suraj Wasudeo Nagre, associate professor of the CVTS department and the chief surgeon.

He added that while the conventional method typically requires cutting the chest bone with an incision of 8 to 10 inches, the minimally invasive technique requires only a 3 to 4-inch incision through the left side of the chest without cutting the bone.

Dr Nagre said minimally invasive surgery is best for patients with one or two blocked coronary arteries, who are often considered ideal candidates for this procedure. "Chest bone cuts require around 2 to 3 months to completely heal. During that time, the patient cannot lift heavy weights. Instead of opening the mid-chest and exposing the patient to so much pain, sternotomy pain can be avoided by this method," he said.

Dr Deepak Jaiswal, a lecturer who was part of the surgery, said Karke is all set to be discharged on May 25.

"The procedure involves less pain and less bleeding. Karke was ambulated immediately post-surgery. The endotracheal tube (ETT), which is the last step in liberating a patient from the mechanical ventilator, was removed immediately after the surgery while still on the operation table. On the first post-operative day, he was shifted to the ward," he said. While in a private hospital, the surgery would cost ₹5-6 lakh, it cost Karke around ₹1.5 lakh. "The procedure requires special training and equipment, which may not be locally available and is expensive. We plan to do more in the coming days for patients who qualify for it," he said.