Shillong, July 10: The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has successfully performed a total arterial bypass surgery on a beating heart for the first time in Meghalaya on a 45-year-old male patient.

For the first time in Meghalaya, the total arterial CABG was done using LIMA (Left internal mammary artery), RIMA (Right internal mammary artery) and Left Radial artery.

A 45-year-old man from West Jaintia Hills (WJH) was found to have significant coronary artery disease. With a history of chronic smoking for over 20 years he had significant surgical risk. The patient was taken up for early Coronary artery Bypass Surgery (CABG).

A majority of bypass surgeries are conducted using a combination of one arterial graft and venous grafts which are harvested from legs of patient. Recent research has shown arterial grafts to have better long term patency rates and survival.

The surgery was conducted by a team of NEIGRIHMS doctors including cardiac surgeons Dr Reuben Lamiaki Kynta and Dr Sanjib Rawat and anaesthetist Dr Nari M Lyngdoh with cardiopulmonary bypass on a beating heart.

The surgery went smoothly and post operative course was uneventful. There were difficulties due to poor lung function because of years of smoking; but was successfully managed with help of pulmonologist Dr Vijay Nongpiur at NEIGRIHMS.

The patient is currently relieved from chest pain and showing good post operative recovery.
A total arterial revascularization is considered to be the best treatment for such cases, and its successful completion in NEIGRIHMS is a good news for patients from Meghalaya and North East region.