For the first time in Assam, Guwahati’s Apollo Hospitals performed a complex coronary procedure, Cardiac Rotablation in Guwahati.
Dr Rituparna Baruah MD DM, a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist led a team of six to eight medical professionals to successfully perform the Cardiac Rotablation on a male patient aged 73 years from Guwahati.
“Sometimes there is deposition of calcium in coronary arteries and because of these depositions some blocks develop. People do have heart attacks due to these blockages,” Dr Rituparna Baruah said during a press meet on Monday.
“It is very difficult to remove the calcium from the coronary arteries. Cardiac Rotablation is a new procedure through which the blockage is dilated. So that the artery does not recoil or collapse again,” he added.
He also said that in case of blockages, angioplasty procedures become difficult due to calcification of artery which disturbs the smooth flow of blood.
“Through angioplasty we can see the percentage of blockage and then stent is deployed inside the coronary artery. In some cases, there is high level of calcium the putting the stent is difficult.”
“In angioplasty, we introduce some wires and catheters and through those catheters we put in a wire. Through that wire, we introduce a small balloon called the angioplasty balloon,” Dr Baruah further apprised.
The stent deployments becomes easier in Cardiac Rotablation process and provides better post-procedure results to cardiac patients.
“A metallic bar is attached at the end of a catheter which rotates very fast. And at the top of the metallic bar, there are some diamond crystals. These diamond crystals while rotating cuts the calcium and then the calcium flows along the blood. There are particular cells which eat up the calcium,” Dr Baruah explained.
“It is a great success for the Cardiology Department as well as the hospital,” said Dr NK Hazarika, Medical Superintendent of Apollo Hospitals, Guwahati.
Guwahati Apollo Hospitals is currently well equipped with the required tools for this procedure and the whole process costs between Rs 1 to 1.5 lakhs.
Dr Rituparna Baruah is trained in Cardiac Rotablation procedure and has also performed it before outside Assam.