CMC Ldh:Greets her doctors on doctors day

Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 2:41 PM
Cherubic Angel with Heart Disease from the valley

A happy baby Rakina (in black kurta) with the Director of CMC – Dr Abraham G Thomas and Dr HS Bedi wishing them a Happy Doctors Day

Ludhiana, 01 July, 2013:(Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria): The lovely angelic child – Baby Rakina – aged 2 years – daughter of Mr Mohd Hanif and Mrs Noorbano of Srinagar – had a major heart surgery at the Christian Medical College and Hospital Ludhiana. She was discharged in a healthy condition and was doing well. Today – on Doctors Day – 1st July 2013 – she and her parents decided to come specially and thank all her treating doctors on Doctors Day. She brought special sweets for all the staff from the valley.

Mohd Hani and Noorbano thanked the CMC & H Institute and all its doctors who took such good care of their baby.  It may be mentioned here that Rakina had a major heart defect (large hole in the heart) which was damaging her heart and lungs. Rakina was not growing according to their age and would get recurrent infections. She would land up in the emergency room of the hospital in J & K time and again. The parents were told that Rakina needed an early heart surgery. However Mohd Hanif – a labourer was unable to collect the money required. He was then were referred to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardiac Surgery at the CMC and H Ludhiana. On investigation it was realized that only a major open heart surgery could save Rakina as her heart was close to its terminal condition. Dr Bedi who has had advanced training in the treatment of such cases at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Australia said that if untreated the lungs of such children get damaged beyond repair . In co-ordination with the Director–Dr Abraham G Thomas and Dr Jugesh Chattwal Prof and Head Paediatrics – it was decided to perform the high risk case under the Gift of Life scheme funded by the CMC Alumni USA and the UMSF USA. A major heart surgery was done wherein Rakina’s body was placed on a heart lung machine, the heart stopped and put on ice and the hole in the heart repaired .By Gods grace – Rakina’s heart recovered immediately. The other members of the team during the marathon surgery were Dr S Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Allen, Dr Anish, Dr  JaiPrakash, Dr Aradhana, Dr Shipra, Dr Neethu, Dr Amritha, Dr Pearl and Dr Rakhi. The delicate control of the heart lung machine was done by Mr William and Mr Jairus.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC said that on Doctors Day the Faculty & Heart Team of CMC & H rededicates itself to  look after patients  with the humility , selflessness and compassion for which CMC is so well known . Dr Bedi told that it was very gratifying when such patients do well with major open heart surgery. The smiling face of the patient and her family is the greatest satisfaction for any doctor. Dr Bedi said that the greatest compliment he has received so far was when Noorbano said that the Heart Team took care of Rakina with motherly love.

2nd International Yoga Conference

Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 11:30 AM
Indian Cardiac Surgeon Dr. H S Delivers Key Note Address

Ludhiana, 11th Jan, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria): The 2nd International Yoga Conference on Yoga for Health organised by the Patanjali Research Foundation in Haridwar.  Amongst a galaxy of International speakers from USA (Brigham’s Hospital, Boston), UK, Europe (Portugal and Germany) , China and Australia – an Indian surgeon made India proud by delivering one of the most appreciated key note lectures . Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the prestigious Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana , Punjab delivered his oration on ‘Yoga and Heart – Improving Cardiac Surgery Outcomes with Yoga–the Science and the Art “ . Dr Bedi is a pioneer of beating heart bypass surgery having published the first series of his technique in 2000 with publications in the major medical journals and presentations all over the world. Dr Bedi said that beating heart surgery has  made bypass a very safe and consistent procedure. However lung complications continue to slow the recovery in patients all over the world . With a view to reducing these Dr Bedi started using pranayam techniques in his patients before and after major heart surgeries . The results were dramatic and significantly much better as patients  could be removed from artificial ventilation much earlier and spent lesser time in the  ICU and hospital . The morbidity was considerably improved over patients who did not undergo yoga therapy and was much better than the best International standards. The address  was received very well and Dr Bedi got a standing ovation by the International audience . Swami Ramdev was all praise for the excellent scientific study conducted at CMC and congratulated Dr Bedi on the excellent results in his patients . The telecast was live and beamed to all countries in the world .
Dr Bedi is  one of the  few heart surgeons who has understood the importance of using traditional Indian yogic  systems to improve the  outcomes in heart disease patients . He has documented the effects of yoga on the  heart and lungs and presented his findings at various super-specialist meetings and conferences all over the world . Initially sceptical surgeons have been amazed by the results and have started using the beneficial effects in their patients  too. Dr Bedi explained that after major heart surgeries the lungs  do not function well and the patients are not able to cough out secretions resulting in low oxygen levels and pneumonia . With  the addition of simple yogic techniques by a full time yoga teacher – Mr Nirmal Singh – under medical supervision – patients are able to breathe well very soon leading to reduced infection rates and quicker recovery .
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of Christian Medical College & Hospital – said that the CMC & H is one of the very few Institutes in the world which has encouraged the addition of yoga therapy to improve the  well being of their patients . With a strong research oriented and patient centred compassionate approach to disease treatment and prevention the CMC was committed to bring the best medical care to the people of this region.

To Cure Young bravehearts of major heart disease

Rotary Int. and Army join hands with CMC Heart team

Mr Som Nath Sharma and Mrs Sharda Devi from Akhnoor (J&K), Mr Mohd

Shabir & Mrs Shamim Akhtar from Rajouri (J&K)   are extremely happy

parents today. Their children – Janu Sharma (7y) and Irfan (8y)

respectively had major heart defects with large holes in their hearts

along with defective valves. Both were not growing according to their

age and would get recurrent infections and were blue in colour . They

would land up in the emergency time and again. They are both from a

financially challenged background. They were investigated in Jammu

where the doctors advised an early major open heart surgery at an

advanced centre. Both could not afford to even travel outside J & K.

Their case was ‘adopted’ by the Army under project Sadbhawana – a

brain child of the Chief Of Army Staff – Gen Bikram Singh – and the

International Rotary India Humanity Foundation (based in Kolkata with

Mr Shekhar Mehta as the Director) which runs the Saving Little Hearts

programme. Mrs Sushmita Dasgupta with Ms Urmi Basu (sponsor) of the

Rotary took a personal interest and brought these children with their

parents to the prestigious Christian Medical College & Hospital in

Ludhiana to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardiac Surgery. On

investigation it was realized that only a major open heart surgery

could save both as medicines had no role and if untreated it could

even lead to death. The bright youngsters suffered from a congenital

heart defect called Tatralogy of Fallot - what is called a ‘Blue Baby’

disease. This is a defect from birth and basically leads to impure

blood mixing with pure blood due to a large hole in the heart combined

with small arteries to the lung.

Dr Bedi who has had advanced training in the treatment of such cases

at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Australia and is one

of the senior most practicing cardiac surgeons of India - told that

both children underwent a major  open heart surgery (total correction)

and are doing well. Dr Bedi said that their hearts are now normal and

both can now lead a normal healthy life.  In fact Janu now wants to be

a doctor while Irfan is aiming to be a fighter pilot. The children

were operated upon under the ‘CMC Gift of Life’ project where highly

subsidized International level cardiac surgical care is given to all

children.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC said that the Institute is fully

geared to take care of such children with heart defects. Dr Bedi told

that it was only because of the strong backup of Dr Jugesh Chattawl –

Prof of Paediatrics – and her team that most of the heart defects

could be safely treated in CMC. The other members of the Heart team

during the marathon surgeries were Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg , Dr Melchi,

Dr Anish, Dr Vishal, Dr Gurleen, Dr Elizabeth, Dr Ashwin and Dr

Cynthia . The Officers of the Army took a personal interest and gave

invaluable logistic and moral help.

Pic: Master Janu and Master Irfan with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi , Dr

Jugesh Chattwal and the Heart team of CMC

For Further Details Please Contact Dr.H.S.Bedi: 9814060480

...And 20 year old got a new life

CMC Heart surgeons breathe life into hopeless case 

In a happy mood Ramandeep with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi and faculty of CTVS department of CMC & H

Ludhiana, 11th August, 2012: (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria):
Mr Ramandeep Singh - the 20 year old son of Mr Sohan Singh of Ludhiana   - had a massive accident while driving a scooter. A large piece of bamboo fence went through into his body from his left neck into his right chest. He was transferred to the Christian Medical College and Hospital from a local hospital. Here he was seen by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery. Mr Ramandeep was in shock and very unstable. He had lost about 3 litres of blood in his right chest and was not able to breathe. He was taken for emergency surgery. The bleeding was found to be a torrential one which could not be adequately controlled because the right lung was solidified due to the injury and was interfering with the exposure. So a rapid decision was made to stop the lungs by putting the patient on a special heart lung machine. Dr Bedi explained that in this rarest of rare cases the only option was to stop the lungs and the only way to do this was to use a sophisticated heart lung machine which takes over the function of the lungs (the machine has a special area through which oxygen is pumped in and purifies the blood just as a normal lung would). The massive bleeder was identified as a complete transection of the origin of the subclavian artery. The torrential blood coming out of this tear was pumped back into the patient. The tear was now controlled and an imported graft used to restore continuity so that the right hand of   would be saved.
Even after the surgery the right lung continued to be non functional due to the massive trauma. So a special method of ventilation called independent lung ventilation was carried out. Here the left and right lungs were separately ventilated with 2 machines, made a slow but complete recovery.
The intricate respiratory care was done under the supervision of the cardiac anesthetists Dr S Garg and Dr Melchi. The other members of the team are Dr A Joseph, Dr Anish Verghese, Dr Pratap, Dr Meenu, Dr Ashwin, and Dr Nina. The heart lung machine was handled by Mr Jairus Wilson and Mr William Prem Sagar aided by Mr Mathew.
Dr AG Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that it was the quick thinking on the part of the surgical team which was instrumental in saving Ramandeep   . He reiterated the commitment of the CMC & H to serve the people of the community with the highest level of care and expertise.

A new success by Dr. H S Bedi at CMC Ludhiana

Rare major open heart surgery saves  a new life
Ludhiana, 16th July, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria)

Mr Vikas Masih – a   35 year old teacher – was in a very serious condition. He had developed a large blood clot in his lungs – a condition called massive pulmonary embolism – due to which he was not able to breathe. He was referred to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. On examination and investigation Dr Bedi realized that Mr Vikas was in imminent danger of death as his oxygen levels were dangerously low. This was damaging his brain and kidneys.
He had already been put on maximal medical therapy including the latest blood thinners at another hospital – but they did not work. The only option to save his life now was a major and rare open heart surgery called pulmonary thrombo-endarterectomy. Dr Bedi said that the surgery is done on a heart lung machine but additionally for a short period of time the circulation even through the heart lung machine has to be stopped. This is called circulatory arrest and is like totally stopping the heart and the lungs - both the natural and artificial ones.
Dr Bedi explained that this is because otherwise the blockage in the lungs cannot be seen clearly. During the tense 10 minutes while the patient was ‘clinically dead’ - on no circulation at all – his lungs were totally cleared of all the deadly clot. Dr Bedi is a pioneer in this field and in fact has trained in this rare surgery at the St Vincents Hospital in Sydney. However this was a very challenging case as Vikas is very young and this extent of disease was unexpected.
The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr Sheetal Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Reenus ,  Dr Dinesh, Dr Pratap, Dr William, Dr Pearl,  Dr Savan, Dr Meenu, DR Nina and Dr Ashwin  . The heart lung machine was manned by Mr Jairus and Mr William – who are the senior most perfusionists of Punjab – along with Mr Mathew.
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to bringing the latest technology to Punjab so that the people of this area were given the best possible therapy. 

Dr Bedi is a pioneer in beating heart surgery

A new chapter of success added in CMC
Ludhiana, 12th May, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Mr Jagdev Singh was in a very difficult situation. He was suffering from severe heart disease. All his heart arteries were blocked. He had earlier had 2 stents put in – but they too had blocked. He was at a grave risk of suffering from a major potentially fatal heart attack. Added to this was the fact that both his kidneys had failed and he was on continuous peritoneal dialysis.

He was seen by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular and Thoracic Surgery - at the prestigious Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana.   Dr Bedi consulted Dr Timothy -    Head of Nephrology and it was realised that the though the patient needed an early bypass surgery but because of his kidney failure he was at a great risk. This is because the conventional on pump CABG produces an inherent kidney failure of its own which when added to the existing problem would have been difficult for the patient’s body to handle. So he underwent a triple beating heart bypass which was preceded by a cycle of dialysis and followed by routine peritoneal dialysis cycles. Dr Bedi has trained at the St Vincents Hospital in Sydney where he has seen such cases deteriorating rapidly with conventional surgery

The other members of the cardiac team involved in this marathon surgery were Dr Allen, Dr S Garg , Dr Melchi , Dr Paul, Dr D Arora , Dr Saavan , Dr Pearl and Dr Neelakshi   .  The kidney failure and dialysis technicalities were taken care of by the superspecialist team of nephrologists headed by Dr Timothy – his team included Dr Jasmin and Dr Pratish . In a CABG patient the greatest risk is low blood pressure but this was tackled by doing a beating heart triple bypass surgery.

Mr Jagdev   is now doing well. Dr Bedi is a pioneer in beating heart surgery in which he holds a Limca World Record. He said that because of the special technique devised by him patients who were earlier refused surgery can undergo this life saving procedure with safety.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC – emphasised that now complex heart surgeries are being done successfully at CMC. This is possible because of the excellent infrastructure and faculty of CMC. He said that CMC is committed to bring International level cardiac care to the doorsteps of the people of this region.

Dr Bedi can be contacted at 9814060480 for any clarification
Photo: Mr Jagdev Singh with Dr HS Bedi after the surgery.

Haert with art

Art technology used to cure the heart diseases

In the current era where heart disease has touched epidemic proportions in India according to WHO - there is something to cheer about. Just simple tests and lifestyle changes and regular exercise can dramatically reduce the chances of suffering from a heart attack.

At a recently concluded free cardiac camp in Jagraon conducted by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana – some very positive findings have come up. At the camp which was inaugurated by Baba Ghalla Singh ji of Nanaksar   - himself a cured patient of Dr HS Bedi - a comprehensive cardiac checkup was performed on over 250 patients of Jagraon and the surrounding villages. Free consultations by super-specialists, free tests and medications would be given. A special test for vascular disease – The ABI test – was done for all patients where indicated. For the first time ever – a very high tech tool – the i-stat – which is available in CMC & H was used to screen all people . Dr Bedi explained that in this test just a drop of blood is used give about 15 parameters to judge a person’s health. It was found that people who exercised regularly or performed yoga had their hearts in good shape, and had cholesterol levels and blood pressure under control  . Dr Bedi was very encouraged with these findings for they suggest that a simple regimen of exercise, prudent diet, weight control and regular checkups could indeed keep the hearts of Punjabis in good shape. He stressed that the aim of preventive medicine was – ‘The hearts of Punjabis should not just tick – they should beat strongly’.

Interestingly similar reports have been found worldwide. Currently around one in five menopausal women die from heart disease. But according to new research by exercise scientists at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), this shocking statistic could be reversed if women took just 30 minutes to exercise, 5 days a week. Similarly a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that walking briskly for half an hour cut the risk of premature death in men and women by 44 percent.

There is some confusion about the type and intensity of exercise required. For cardiovascular fitness, you need to do a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week, working hard enough that you break a sweat or are mildly out of breath. If you work out on a treadmill you should walk at a speed of at least four miles per hour on a level. If it’s on an incline, you can go a little more slowly.

Punjabis have a genetic predisposition to heart disease. You can’t do anything about your genes just yet—but you can lower that risk through lifestyle changes. Diet, yoga, exercise, regular physical checkups—all of these can help. Diabetes and high blood pressure can be detected and kept under control. It is time that we invested in our health and fitness now to ensure a real quality of life in later years – just as we plan a financial pension plan for our future. So, strap on your sneakers and start striding in the park – said Dr Bedi .

Aim for a target heart rate during exercise.  Make monitoring your heart rate an integral part of your workout routine. It's a safer, more effective way to exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Here's how to calculate your target heart rate range:

-Estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. 

- Determine your lower-limit exercise heart rate: multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.6.

- Calculate your upper-limit exercise heart rate: multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.9.

For most people, working out at the lower end of the heart rate range for a longer time is better than exercising at the higher end for a shorter period.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the outreach programmes were an integral and important part of the basic philosophy of CMC so that medical care could reach one and all in this region.

An appeal for Anil

7 year old was born with only one pumping chambers

Anil with his mother and Dr HS Bedi in CMC

Young Master Anil  s/o Dev Nandan and Pano Devi  is in a difficult position. This 7 year old was born with one of his 2 pumping chambers of the heart absent. Due to this his growth has stopped and he is constantly blue. He was seen by numerous doctors all over India. He then consulted Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of the Department of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the prestigious Christian Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana. Dr Bedi realized that the defect if uncorrected could be fatal as the body could not tolerate low oxygen for a long time.

He explained that the heart has 2 pumps – the left and the right ventricle. In Anil – there is just one. Consequently all the blood (good and bad) mixes in this pump and gets circulated. As this is a mixed blood it is impure or blue and the whole body including the brain is always short of oxygen.
Dr Bedi has trained at one of the most advanced paediatric heart surgery centres in the world – the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Sydney. Even there – Dr Bedi says- children with such advanced stage are not seen as the get operated much earlier. Anil will need a major open heart surgery where the surgeons will try and make a new heart for Anil using an imported heart lung machine. Anil’s father is a labourer and cannot afford the treatment even after a major concession by the hospital. Any donations may be made in the name of:    ’Christian Medical College   , Ludhiana’    with Anil’s name at the back. All donations are tax exempted.
Anil wants to get better so that he can study. Dr Bedi said that after surgery Anil should be able to handle any profession of his choice.