Invade with care

A NEW technique known as minimally
invasive direct coronary bypass surgery
has been successfully tested last month
at Lenox Hill hospital in Manhattan, us.
Valavanur A Subramanian performed
the delicate surgery on the heart as it
continued to beat, instead of putting
the patient on a heart-lung machine.
This was done by making small incisions in the chest wall.

The surgery promises to cut down
costs. Besides, it will allow the patients
to make a speedier and less painful
recovery as compared to a standard
bypass. Also, the patients suffering
from angina, which is chest pain resulting from blocked coronary arteries, will
have more therapeutic options to choose from.

in a standard bypass surgery, surgeons make a foot-long incision in the
chest, split the breast bone and stop the
heart. In the new version of the operation, surgeons operate through an incision of three or fewer inches long.
Surgeons performing these operations
are planning to develop feedback forms
to collect the results of their experiences and compare them with standard
bypass surgery.

Minimally invasive operations could now become an effective alternative to angioplasty or standard bypass surgery.