Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital, a newly opened 350-bed advanced healthcare centre becomes the first hospital in South Tamil Nadu to introduce Laser Angioplasty. The hospital has recently performed Angioplasties using this cutting-edge technique and saved the lives of four heart patients, including two elders.
Angioplasty is a Transcatheter procedure used to remove heart blockages. Laser angioplasty employs a specialised catheter that emits laser beams (high-energy ultraviolet light) to vapourise plaque and blood clots within arteries. This advanced cardiac care technology ensures targeted treatment, minimising damage to healthy tissues surrounding the blockages, and is particularly effective in treating complex or calcified lesions.’
The procedures were performed by a skilled team of cardiologists led by Dr. S. Selvamani, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Ganesan Nambirajan, Head of the Cardiology Department, Dr. R. Sivakumar, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, and Dr. Sampath, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Department of Cardiology, with assistance from Dr. Jeyapandian, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology.
Addressing a press interaction organised here today, Dr. Selvamani, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, remarked, “Acute heart attack patients need treatment within six hours of chest pain onset and within one hour of arriving at the hospital. As time passes, the thrombus burden increases. In this context, laser angioplasty is significant because it can be quickly initiated and effectively treats patients with larger blood clots. One of the patients we operated on was admitted with an acute heart attack. The angiogram showed a 99% blockage in his blood vessel with large blood clots. Routine angioplasty and stenting might result in suboptimal outcomes in at least 30% of such cases. Therefore, we vapourised the clots using the laser system, resulting in better outcomes for the patient.”
Dr. R. Sivakumar, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, said that the laser’s ability to precisely target plaque ensures more effective blockage removal. As the laser technology vapourises the plaque rather than mechanically breaking it apart there is no risk of the formation of dislodging fragments that could cause blood clots downstream. Patients typically experience shorter recovery times and improved comfort post-procedure due to the minimally invasive nature of this technique.
Dr. Ganesan, HOD of Cardiology who performed the Angioplasty to treat restenosis, commented, “The use of laser angioplasty allows us to offer new hope and improved outcomes for patients with challenging cardiac conditions. It proved to be effective for a patient who had a heart attack three years ago and was treated with angioplasty and stenting. However, he developed a new blockage in the previously treated artery, which can occur in patients with uncontrolled blood sugar. Performing angioplasty in an already stented blood vessel carries a high risk of recurrence. Therefore, we chose laser angioplasty to minimise such risks.”
Dr. Sampath, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Department of Cardiology, Dr. Jeyapandian, Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, Dr. Thomas Xavier Paul Singh, Associate Consultant, Department of Cardiology was also present in the press interaction on this novel procedure.