Lanka Hospitals introduces new heart surgeries to Sri Lanka

Wednesday, 22 January 2014 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Heart lung transplants and minimal invasive heart surgeries now available at the country’s leading heart centre

Further reinforcing its commitment to be the best, Lanka Hospitals today announced that it is now capable of performing heart lung transplant surgeries and minimally invasive (keyhole) cardiac surgeries, and is the only hospital in Sri Lanka that offers these surgeries to patients. In order to perform the heart lung transplant surgery for the first time in Sri Lanka, the centre was equipped with the required instruments as well as the latest, most state-of-the-art equipment. The necessary capacity increases have also been done in terms of adding in new theatres. Also since Lanka Hospitals is obtaining international accreditation from JCI, the world’s leading certificate body for health care organisations, international patients can undergo their heart surgeries rest assured that the highest international standards are being maintained.

Speaking about the new surgeries that can be performed, Lanka Hospitals Chief Resident Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. G. Gandhiji said, “Minimally invasive keyhole surgeries are a new concept which is being practiced in other developed countries around the world and can be carried out with no compromise to the quality or safety of the operation. These minimally invasive heart surgeries, which cause less pain, allow patients to recover much faster and carry on with their day-to-day lives unlike open heart surgeries. Minimally invasive surgeries also leave only a minor scar which is cosmetically more appealing and are thereby preferred by many patients.” Heart lung transplants are a very rewarding operation which is not practiced in Sri Lanka. The operation is carried out on patients with end stage heart failure whose lifespan is only a few months. By offering heart transplants patients who have no hope at all can be given a new lease of life. The Lanka Hospitals Heart centre is currently in the process of organising the logistics to perform these operations. Speaking about the hospital’s vision Lanka Hospitals CEO Lakith Peiris said, “At the Lanka Hospitals Heart Centre we pledge to offer the highest

standards of clinical excellence at the most reasonable cost. No other hospital in Sri Lanka has the facilities offered by our Heart Centre which is the evidenced by the fact that this is the only hospital in which all cardiologists and cardiac surgeons practice, he added.” Dr. Gandhiji qualified from the University of Peradeniya and subsequently obtained his postgraduate degree. He then attended higher heart surgical training in New Zealand at the Wellington Public Hospital and the Kids Heart Hospital in Auckland. Since his return to Sri Lanka he worked at the General Hospital in Kandy conducting both heart and thoracic operations, before joining Lanka Hospitals. While at the Kandy General Hospital he conducted the country’s first heart surgery without using general anaesthesia (awake heart surgery). Later Dr. Gandhiji went to Sydney, Australia to complete training in heart lung transplants and has currently joined Lanka Hospitals exclusively. It is this knowledge that he hopes to practice at the Heart Centre at Lanka Hospitals. Lanka Hospitals is hoping to perform awake, non-incubated heart surgeries (where the patient is not under general anaesthesia) are performed under thoracic epidural anaesthesia (anaesthesia administered to the spine to numb only the required area). Dr. Gandhiji is currently the only Sri Lankan surgeon in the country to have performed this operation.