BENGALURU: As many as 200 free angioplasties and stenting procedures were conducted for poor patients by the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. Stents were given free of cost to all these patients.
Dr C N Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said, "Around 200 angioplasties were performed in just four days. This is technically demanding. It was possible because the institute has seven cath labs, 75 full-time cardiologists, and excellent staff."
The stents and balloons were donated by Dr Govindaraju Subramani Heart Foundation and Medtronic Vascular Division, Santarosa USA. Most of the patients are poor agriculturists, daily wage labourers, auto rickshaw drivers, footpath vendors, garment workers and financially constrained senior citizens.
Dr Manjunath said heart-related diseases are steadily increasing even among poor people, in rural areas and is occurring at much younger ages. The youngest patient to have been operated upon was a 28-year-old man, a cashier, and the oldest patient was an 81- year-old senior citizen. Out of 200 patients, 18 per cent were women.
At least 25 percent of the patients were below 50 years of age. The main risk factors among the patients were diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and high cholesterol levels. "Heart-related diseases are no longer diseases affecting the elite and elderly population, they are also affecting the younger age group, women and poor people," Manjunath said.Pre-discharge counselling sessions were also arranged. Free medicines for three months were given to all patients.