Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangalore part of the Manipal Healthcare Group has conducted a unique interventional procedure (without surgery) to cure an unusual cardiac disease in a one-year-old. The team of interventional cardiologists comprising Dr Yusuf Kumble and Dr Venketesh Dr Subhash Chandra, cardiologist and head of Cardiology Department, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore were present during the procedure.

With this, Dr Yusuf Kumble claimed, on the basis of facts, that treating and curing such a case by interventional technique without conventional surgery is a major development in the history of interventional procedures.

Alsana, a one-year-old child from Ullal in Mangalore, was born with congenital defect in the heart. She had recurrent respiratory tract infection, failure to thrive and cardiac failure. Disease was diagnosed as an unusual tunnel between the aorta and right atrium. Blood flow from the left side of the heart to the right side causes increased pressure in the respiratory tract and the left side of the heart, which leads to cardiac failure in early life. The defect is usually corrected by surgery. However, the surgical complications like anesthesia, psychological trauma of the parents and large operative scar made the parents insist on an interventional procedure without surgery.

The interventional cardiologists at KMC Hospital, after detailed deliberations, decided that the procedure - Percutanious Coil Closure (without an open heart surgery) could be adopted.

A coil was placed in the hole of the heart and made to balance and the mixing of blood was thereby prevented. The doctors claimed that the imported coils used were for life long. The patient responded positively to the procedure and would be discharged in the next 48 hours.

The cardiologists stated that for such a rare disease even globally the seven known cases were rectified with surgery. The team was of the view that this effort could be perhaps, the first reported case of Percutanous correction with out resorting to surgery and would be reported in the Interventional Journal soon.

According to Dr CV Raghuveer, dean, KMC, Mangalore, pediatric cardiac cases are increasing in the South Kanara belt. Patients could now access the full-fledged facility in the region as earlier they had to depend on metro cities, which made the treatment beyond their reach.

Dr DP Saraswat, COO, KMC, Mangalore said that the expertise available here was on par with metros and experienced cardiologists of the Manipal Group Hospitals would be available to perform procedures at KMC Hospitals, Mangalore. The latest technology - angioplasty using drug-eluting stent is also now available which the patient can choose to avoid open-heart surgery.