MUMBAI: An Indian-origin patient hailing from Mauritius, who had a history of diabetes, hypertension and ischemic heart disease, successfully underwent a offpump bypass surgery at the Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai. The surgery was carried out by noted cardiologist Dr Ramakanta Panda, who had performed the bypass surgery on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh last year.

The patient, Prem Singh Sookhary, who is a businessman, complained of pain in upper back radiating to left arm on and off. Pain used to get aggravated while walking and relieved by taking rest. Pain was accompanied with breathlessness.

In Feb 2009, while in UK, experienced breathlessness while walking and felt suffocated. He contacted a local doctor there and took primary treatment. There it was discovered that he suffered from a heart problem. However he didn’t undergo any treatment in UK.

Thereafter the patient went back to Mauritius and started treatment there. He underwent an angiography in Mauritius. It was discovered that three of his arteries were fully blocked. In May 2009 the patient was told to undergo bypass surgery. Since he had suffered two strokes in the past, doctors opined that the surgery was risky.

There was a possibility that the patient might suffer another stroke. The family consulted few more cardiologists in Mauritius itself but all gave the same opinion. In the meanwhile the family continued treatment through medicines. Doctors there said that the surgery is too risky and there are only 25% chances of the surgery being successful.

The family then approached the AHI and consulted Dr Panda. He went through the reports and said that it was a high risk surgery but routine for the AHI team. He reassured the family that there is 99% chances of the surgery being successful. The surgery was performed on January 20 successfully.