Head Line :Landmark in Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac Surgery is perceived to be maximally invasive and fraught with serious risk to life besides other complications. Traditionally, in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) commonly done for patients with heart attack, the surgery is done under general anesthesia in which the patient is made unconscious by giving drugs. In addition, the patient’s heart is connected to a heart lung machine, which takes over the functions of the heart while the bypass graft is being done. This has now been modified to a beating heart surgery where the patient does not have to be put on a Heart Lung Machine. This has reduced the risks associated with the use of a Heart Lung Machine.



A landmark was made in St Stephen’s Hospital when a CABG was done in a patient using the beating heart technique but without giving general anesthesia. This meant that the patient remained conscious throughout the procedure. In fact while surgery was going on, the patient was talking to the anesthesiologist!



This remarkable feat was made possible by the team of Cardio-Thoracic Anesthesiologists, Dr Amit and Dr Surabhi with the use of a technique called High Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia (TEA). In this the patient is given an injection in the spine to make the whole trunk and lower part of the body numb. TEA eliminates the potential lung complication associated with general anesthesia and tube placement in the windpipe. This is especially useful in patients with lung disorders that place them at a higher risk if general anesthesia is given. The patient does not have to stay in the intensive care for a grueling 98 hours. He can even talk to his family members soon after surgery. The patient can get back to normal activities faster than after a regular CABG. This type of conscious Beating Heart Surgery has been done for the first time in the city of Delhi.

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