Latest news with #DepartmentofCardiothoracicSurgery
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Complex surgery performed on patient from T.N.
The medical team at KIMSHEALTH, Thiruvananthapuram, performed a complex surgery on a Tamil Nadu native whose oxygen level had dangerously dropped due to blood clots in the pulmonary arteries. The 49-year-old patient, who was undergoing treatment for deep vein thrombosis, arrived at KIMSHEALTH with severe shortness of breath and swelling in the leg. Although a coronary angiogram showed normal blood vessels, her oxygen level —which should ideally be between 95% and 100% — had dropped to a life-threatening low of 80%. A subsequent CT pulmonary angiography revealed blood clots in the arteries of the lungs. Doctors decided to proceed with a pulmonary thromboendarterectomy to remove the clots. With the aid of a heart-lung machine, the patient's body temperature was lowered to 18 degrees Celsius to control blood flow and prepare for surgery. Blood clots in both the left and right pulmonary arteries were successfully removed. The surgery lasted approximately eight hours, during which blood flow was temporarily stopped and restarted every 30 minutes. 'After the surgery, the patient was successfully weaned off the heart-lung machine and placed on a ventilator in the ICU. A week later, as she was able to breathe normally without oxygen support, she was discharged. Currently, the patient's oxygen level has risen to 95%, which is within the normal range,' said Dr. Shaji Palangadan, senior consultant, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Hans India
13-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
International Nurses Day held at Kurnool GGH
Kurnool: The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Government General Hospital, Kurnool, observed International Nurses Day with great reverence and celebration, honouring the tireless contributions of nursing professionals on Monday. Nurses play a pivotal role in patient care, particularly during times of critical illness and adversity — whether following accidents, paralytic strokes, or ICU admissions. When family members cannot stay bedside, it is the nurses who step in as closest companions, providing unwavering support, compassion, and medical care. Even patients who remain conscious in intensive care, often unable to communicate their needs due to life-support systems, find comfort in the dedicated attention of nurses. From administering medications to feeding and hydration, nurses deliver care with a tenderness likened to that of a mother caring for her child. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Chinta Prabhakar Reddy, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, emphasised the indispensable role nurses play alongside doctors in restoring patients to health. 'Regardless of one's wealth or status, when confined to a hospital bed, it is the nurse who ensures attentive, around-the-clock care,' he remarked. Despite the critical nature of their work, nurses face numerous challenges, including modest salaries and long working hours — many continuing to serve under contract appointments for over two decades. Yet, their commitment to patient welfare remains steadfast and selfless. Highlighting the need for greater recognition of nurses, Dr Reddy added, 'In today's world, nursing remains one of the most underrated and exploited professions. Alongside teachers, who shape responsible citizens, nurses deserve profound respect for bestowing the gift of health.' The celebrations at the hospital witnessed enthusiastic participation from the department's nursing staff, doctors, and senior nursing officials, including Savitribai, Vimaladevi, Padmamma, and others from the Government General Hospital, Kurnool. The gathering served as a heartfelt tribute to the dedication and service of nurses, particularly those caring for patients recovering from complex cardiothoracic procedures.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
16-year-old girl undergoes robot-assisted heart surgery at Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital
It was a few months before her Class 12 Board Examination that 16-year-old Aarthi (name changed) was diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD), after she complained of dizziness and fatigue. Days after the exam ended, the girl underwent robot-assisted ASD closure surgery at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital (TNGMSSH), Omandurar Estate, and is now back on her feet, eagerly looking forward to her exam results. TNGMSSH surgeons said this was the first time a robot-assisted surgery for ASD closure had been done in the government sector in India. 'Till now, we have been performing beating heart surgeries robotically,' Meenakshi Sundaram, Head, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, TNGMSSH, said. Aarthi was raised by a single mother, who works at a roadside pushcart eatery. She was diagnosed with ASD at a private hospital. 'There, they said she should undergo the surgery at the earliest and that it will cost more than ₹3.5 lakh,' her mother, who gets a daily wage of ₹400, said. They approached TNGMSSH in January, where doctors examined Aarthi and told her to come after board exam ended. She wanted her surgery done during the holidays and was keen on returning to normal activity at the earliest, so as not affect her studies. Doctors said this was a congenital heart defect, and the symptoms could show up later in life as was the case with Aarthi. With TNGMSSH having a robotic surgery centre, doctors performed a robot-assisted ASD closure surgery on her on April 3. She was fit for discharge on the fourth day after the operation, Dr. Meenakshi Sundaram said. Robot-assisted surgery has its benefits, he said, adding that the surgery was done through a 5-cm incision on the chest. It provides faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, and patients do not have scars. In private hospitals, open surgery for ASD closure would have cost around ₹5 lakh, while robot-assisted surgery would cost ₹15 lakh to ₹20 lakh, he said, adding: 'Here, the procedure was covered under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.' Around 100 patients with cancer and over 60 patients with cardiac ailments have benefitted from robotic surgery at TNGMSSH so far, a press release said. Apart from Dr. Meenakshi Sundaram, the surgical team comprised Abinayavalavan and Ezhilan from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Kumar, Head, Department of Anaesthesiology, and Deepthi and Kalaivani from the department.
