Durgapur, July, 2015: The Mission Hospital Durgapur proudly hosted the 1st Slender Radial Cardiac Workshop, 2015 at the Hospital premises for the first time in India. The conference was announced in the august presence of Dr. Takashi Matsukage, Associate Professor, Division of Cardiology, and Chief Director of ICU/CCU Tokai University Hachioji Hospital. Dr. Sanjay Chugh, Senior Interventional Cardiology Consultant, The Mission Hospital, Durgapur, MD – Medicine (Calcutta University), DM Cardiology (AIIMS, New Delhi). ‘Slender Radial’ is an advanced technology of radial angioplasty. Dr.Chugh, the world leader in Radial Angioplasty has already performed thousands of successful radial angioplasty surgeries including all angioplasties for Heart Attack cases in this hospital in his tenure here since September last year.
“With the launch of Slender Technology that allows angioplasty of patients with thin radial (wrist) arteries, we can now do 100% successful Radial Angioplasties.”said Dr Sanjay Chugh – a pioneer in radial angioplasty. He performed the first radial rotablation in India (drilling of coronary through wrist as part of angioplasty) in 2003 and the first angioplasty using a `slender` tube (<1.3mm) through wrist in 2013. Dr. Chugh who worked in the UK & North America for several years created history by setting up country`s first fast–track ‘WALK IN-WALK-OUT DAY CARE RADIAL CENTER’ at The Mission Hospital, Durgapur, where patients for day- care procedures do not have to wait for procedures. Most of the patients come and go in 3 hours after angiogram or 24 hours after angioplasties done through wrist. “We do all the angioplasties through wrist now and these angioplasties include angioplasty of heart attack cases as well” – he added while speaking at the slender radial workshop on 4th July 2015.
“In 2015, Cardiologists should not do Cath procedures without the back up of a surgical unit because complications, even though rare come unannounced even in the best of hands and do require a surgeon’s help in those rare situations, which we get to see from cardiologists at centres in our neighbourhood & adjoining regions where procedures are done without surgical back up and hence they have to send their patients to us when in distress” said Dr.Bose.
The workshop, in addition to Live Cases by Dr. Matsukage and Dr. Chugh will also feature focussed panel discussions on:
- Is it acceptable to do Interventions/CRT/Pacemakers in stand-alone Cath labs without surgical backup
- Defining ‘Small radials’- How small is too small?
- Overcoming the challenges of small radials
When asked about the benefits of radial angioplasty, Dr.Chugh said “Angiogram or angioplasty done through groin makes patients lie flat for 12 hours andalso makes them suffer stiff back. After this kind of angioplasty patients have to use a bed pan or urinary pot,or a catheter that increases the risk of urinary tract infection or bleeding. After a radial angioplasty, patients can walk, use the toilet, relax in a lounge, sit and eat, read, watch TV, surf the net and go home in 3 hours after an angiogram.”
“How does it matter whether angioplasty is done through leg or hand…numbers are important”, remarked a Vice President of a corporate chain in NCR. But Dr.Bose believes and said “For us patient safety and their interests is more important than mere numbers, hence we support radials because survival is better with it”
“Several studies have shown that radial angioplasty, when used to treat heart attacks, improves the chances of survival, compared to angioplasties done through groin. Radial angioplasties ensure less bleeding, and offer less cardio vascular complication; especially to patients who have recent onset angina chest pain (Acute Coronary Syndrome). A recent randomized study published in Lancet further re-confirmed this.” said Dr.Chugh.
“In India, only 10% of cardiologists can do angioplasty through the wrist and only 1% dares to successfully do complex angioplasty and angioplasty in heart attack cases. Just because majority of cardiologists can`t perform radials doesn`t mean radial angioplasty is not good for patients. At the Mission Hospital Durgapur, we are committed to provide our patients with the best of cardiac care. And to do that our aim is to train our cardiologists to handle the more challenging technical aspects of working with the smaller artery in the wrist.”
Dr.Satyajit Bose, Chairman & Senior Cardiac Surgeon, The Mission Hospital speaking on the occasion remarked “The conference is an endeavour that seeks to disseminate knowledge about how to carry out coronary angioplasty & stent deployment through the slender wrist arteries. This will be accompanied by engaging discussions on new vistas of cardiology and how to leverage technology and skill. Peer reviews on live cases will contribute further towards making the experience even more enriching.” He also added that “The state-of-the-art auditoriums equipped with the best in class audio-visual facilities for live transmission straight from the world’s best state-of-the-art Philips Allura Clarity cardiac cath lab would make the experience even more technologically fulfilling.”