Dr. Purshotam Lal Speaks About Innovations in Interventional Cardiology
ASHISH KEDIA , TEN NEWS
Ten News Spoke to renowned cardiologist of India Dr. Purshotam Lal about the innovations in interventional cardiology. He has been awarded with all three Padma Awards namely Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan and hence belongs to an all-different league of most-rewarded doctors in the World.
Here is an excerpt of our talk with him:
TN: Have there been any remarkable innovations in the field of interventional cardiology lately?
Dr.PL: Interventional cardiology has witnessed many remarkable innovations and achievements. It is going like a rocket in the sky. We can do many-man thing without surgery today. Almost 70-80% heart-hole procedures can be done without surgery today. I remember in 1991 when I did first such-procedure of a 19 year old boy Suresh Babu from Chennai, it was a big achievement. Thereafter the scientists have come with better techniques. Almost all the major hospitals are closing heart holes without surgery now. It is very great advantage for the young girls who otherwise have to suffer from a big scar and which in turn would also cause a lot of social stigma. Similarly we are opening the tight heart valves with the balloon method. I feel very proud that I the only balloon used for the purpose have been brought to India by me in 1990. I spoke to the inventor of this balloon to make it possible. He was selling it to other countries for 3000$ and he agreed to give it to us for 1000$. The price has remained almost same till today. It really helps when the patient finds out about any heart valve related issue during pregnancy. It is because of this method that we can operate even during this time. Another wonderful thing is the replacement of aortic valves without surgery. I had presented a paper in this regard in 1992 at Cardiological Society of India claiming that it is possible without surgery. However the day came in July 12, 2004 when we did the first case of the World of aortic valve replacement at our Metro Heart Hospital, Noida. Since then lakhs of cases have been done in other countries as well. The cost is very high but for sake of convenience people are still opting for it. Here I guess Government can help by making certain things re-enabled way.
Lastly, we can say any patient 95% can be saved from bypass surgery and the credit goes to stenting and drilling. We are witnessing arteries of the citizen in our country much more full of calcium which cannot be opened through conventional means. These innovative interventional techniques are saving elderly people to a great extent.
