COIMBATORE: In what is believed to be the first such cardiac surgery performed in a government hospital, doctors in Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) fitted a pacemaker called Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator Device (CRT-D) on a 54-year-old male patient recently.
Addressing media persons on Wednesday, CMCH dean Dr A Nirmala, who was accompanied by the team of cardiologists, said, “Saravanakumar (54) of Tiruppur was admitted to the intensive care unit due with irregular heartbeat condition called ventricular tachycardia. Doctors gave him shock treatment (cardiac defibrillation) immediately and saved his life. Further investigations revealed that he suffered from a severe heart condition and had undergone dual chamber pacemaker implantation at a private hospital in Tiruppur.”
Nirmala said the patient suffered recurrent episodes of irregular heartbeats even after the pacemaker was implanted, and they decided to fit the CRT-D. He was operated upon on January 24.
“The CRT-D (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator) is placed in the chest and helps regulate heartbeat. lf the device senses abnormal heartbeat at a dangerous rate, it delivers an electrical shock (defibrillation) to the heart which will stabilize abnormal heart rhythm,” the dean explained.
“This is the first time a CRT-D device is being implanted in a patient in a government hospital in Tamil Nadu. The patient was relieved of his symptoms after the CRT-D implantation and will be discharged in a couple of days. The procedure was done free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The surgery would costs up to Rs 10 lakh in private hospitals,” Nirmala concluded.