RARE SURGERY
Kolkata: Cardiac surgeons at a city hospital have pushed the traditional boundaries of minimally invasive cardiac surgery by performing a complex, four-graft Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (MICS CABG) procedure on a 45-year-old patient. “We are conducting, on average, more than 100 MICS surgeries every month.
“The revolution in MICS CABG is about removing limitations once considered inherent to minimally invasive surgery,” said Dr Ayubi. But this particular four-graft procedure is not only a first for us, but probably also among the first of its kind in Eastern India,” said Supriyo Chakrabarty, Group adviser at B P Poddar Hospital. The surgery, conducted at BP Poddar Hospital, successfully revascularised all major coronary territories through a single small incision between the patient’s ribs, offering a landmark alternative to traditional open-heart surgery. The patient was diagnosed with advanced ischaemic heart disease affecting all three major coronary arteries, including the critical left anterior descending artery. Given the severity and distribution of the blockages, standard surgical protocols would typically dictate conventional open-heart bypass surgery via a sternotomy, allowing unrestricted open access to manoeuvre around the heart. Unlike traditional surgery, MICS CABG restricts visible access and instrument movement, making complex multivessel grafting — especially across distinct left and right coronary territories — exceptionally challenging. “This case challenged two major boundaries — the number of grafts and the coronary territories that could be reached. Completing four grafts across both coronary systems through minimal access shows how far MICS has evolved and how those boundaries can now be redefined. Hospital leadership highlighted the clinical milestone as a significant step forward for cardiac care in the region.