Aizawl: Doctors at Zoram Medical College and Hospital (ZMC&H) performed the state’s first open-heart surgery — a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure — on Wednesday, marking a major milestone in cardiac care in Mizoram.The six-and-a-half-hour operation was conducted on a 69-year-old patient by cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Mary Hmingthantluangi and visiting cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Intekhab Alam of Apollo Excel Hospital, Guwahati.The patient had suffered a heart attack six months ago and was diagnosed with triple-vessel disease, a severe form of coronary artery disease affecting three major blood vessels supplying the heart.During the procedure, the patient’s heartbeat was temporarily stopped and circulation was maintained using a heart-lung machine while the surgeons bypassed the three blocked arteries. Blood vessels from the patient’s leg and chest were used to create the bypasses.ZMC&H’s anaesthesiology, nursing and operation theatre teams supported the surgery, while cardiologist Dr. Lalṭhafala monitored the patient throughout. The visiting surgeon praised the hospital’s surgical, anaesthesia and nursing teams for their preparation and coordination. Hospital authorities also closely monitored the procedure.
