KOCHI: Japanese cardiologist Dr Kazuhiro Ashida introduced a unique procedure to his counterparts at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) that could ultimately replace bypass surgery for arterial blocks.
The procedure, known as Retrograde CTO Recanalisation, is considered to be the final frontier in chronic blocks which otherwise could only be corrected through open-heart surgery.
Dr Ashida, who is a pioneer of the technology, conducted a live workshop for cardiologists at AIMS and conducted the procedure on three patients who were advised to undergo bypass surgery.
“This procedure avoids bypass surgery. The patient will be able to go home the same day, and can resume normal activities in a few days, unlike in the conventional procedures that confine the patient to hospital for a long period,” said Dr Ashida.
“The new procedure requires advanced hardware and expertise. But, it does not require any incision or pinhole as in minimally invasive surgeries like angiogram. Secondly, unlike the conventional method of angiogram, the stent or catheter is inserted from reverse direction and it is therefore called, retrograde,” explained AIMS professor of cardiology Dr T Rajesh.
He said that the success rate of the procedure was 70 per cent across the world. Though the cost of the procedure could go up by half, it would be balanced by reduced hospitalisation expenses and shorter recovery time.