The Choithram Hospital and Research Centre (CHRC) on Wednesday claimed to have performed Madhya Pradesh's first carotid angioplasty and stenting procedures.

Addressing a press conference here, Dr Anil Karnik, Head, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, CHRC, said, ``We are happy to announce that for the first time in Madhya Pradesh carotid angioplasty and stenting procedure was performed at CHRC. Indore has the pride of being the first city in MP to claim the two successful carotid angioplasties and stenting procedures.''

The procedures were performed at a camp-cum-workshop on `Vascular and Interventional Radiology' organized at the CHRC. Around 55 patients were registered or check-up who had symptoms pertaining to ischaemic disease of brain, kidney, upper and lower extremities, and few female patients had infertility due to fallopian tube occlusion, he said.

Approximately 12-15 patients were found suitable for the interventional radiology treatment, but due to time constraints, only nine were selected for various peripheral angiographies and angioplasties.

``Two patients who had nearly 70 per cent and over 90 per cent carotid artery stenosis respectively underwent carotid angioplasty and stenting procedures and were saved from developing a stroke and paralysis,'' said the interventional radiologist.

Similarly, one female patient - who could not walk more than 20-35 steps due to vascular claudication in lower limbs due to 95 per cent and 100 per cent blockage in both the common iliac arteries - underwent successful bilateral iliac angioplasty and stenting.

A femoral angioplasty was performed on a heavy smoker with symptoms of impending gangrene in his left lower limb due to blockage of femoral artery.

The workshop was also attended by interventional radiologists Dr Vimal Someshwar, Dr Uday Limaye and Dr Girish Warwadekar of Mumbai.

``We are planning to make the department of vascular and interventional radiology o CHRC as an important referral center in a big way,'' said Dr Ravikant, Medical Director, adding that the team of interventional cardiologists will be performing such procedures at around 50 per cent of the cost incurred in Metros.