Regions first open heart surgery conducted at CRH

The Central Referral Hospital in Gangtok successfully conducted the first open heart surgery of the State recently when it replaced the aortic valve of a young lady from Tumin Saley in East Sikkim on 11 September. The patient was discharged on Monday. She was admitted in the hospital two months back and underwent an Aortic Valve Replacement here.
Dr. Sudheer Deodatta Palkar, Senior Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgeon at CRH, along with his team of doctors and nurses performed the four hour long surgery on Phuchung Lepcha. Until her surgery, she was bedridden, and now, following the successful operation, she is able to move around and speak normally as earlier.
Not just Sikkim, this is perhaps the first open heart surgery in the entire Northeastern Region by any hospital established on the Public-Private partnership model.
Addressing a media briefing, Dr. Palkar told reporters that the patient had checked into CRH complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath. She was unable to walk even a few steps without running out of breath and suffering acute chest pains.
A series of investigations and Echo Cardiogram diagnosed her with Aortic stenosis and Aortic incompetence, Dr Palkar informed, adding that an additional CT Angio of the heart and great vessels showed Aortic root transverse diameter of about 28 mm which further confirmed the diagnosis. Aortic valve stenosis is a disease of the heart valves in which the opening of the aortic valve [main artery that carries blood out of heart to rest of the body] is narrowed. The aortic valve is located between the left ventricle of the heart and aorta, the largest artery in the body, which carries the entire output of blood to the systematic circulation.
Phuchung was brought to the hospital by the Pastor of her church. Her medical expenses was borne through Sikkim Manipal Swasthya Suraksha, a health scheme launched by CRH covering hospital costs upto Rs. 1.50 lakh, and the remaining cost was absorbed by the hospital itself since the patient could not afford it.
Thus far, patients requiring open heart surgery would have to travel to Kolkata or Delhi or one of the other metros for the procedure. Now, with Dr. Palkar, having 37 years of experience in heart surgery, having joined CRH [barely a year back], Sikkim has a cardio-superspeciality wing to cater the people of the Northeast.
While interacting with media-persons, Ms. Lepcha admitted that she was worried about the treatment and thanked God and the service provided at Central Referral Hospital. “It saved me valuable time and money. I am really thankful to CRH, Dr. Sudheer Deodatta Palkar and his team for giving me a fresh lease of life,” she said.
Dr. Palkar informs that CRH will now start operating on CAGB, congenital heart repairs and major Vascular surgery like aneurysm of big artery. The aim, he said, is to make CRH a major referral tertiary care cardiac unit of the northeastern region.
R. Rajmohan, Chief Operating Officer of Central referral Hospital, Manipal informed that the department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic has a separate OT equipped with the latest state of the art equipment, coronary care unit and full time cardiologist, Cardio Thoracic surgeon, Cardiac Anesthetist and well trained nurses and technicians.