53-year-old undergoes India's first keyhole multiple bypass

Dr Naresh Trehan conducted India's first keyhole multiple bypass surgery on Suman Singhal (53) at the Indraprastha Apollo hospital last week. It took him less than four hours to perform the scarless surgery, without cutting any bone of the patient. Conventionally, the breastbone is cut to reach the heart. Singhal, from Uttar Pradesh, was diagnosed with multiple blockages. Trehan and team put five grafts in her blood vessels through a three-inch incision, using the minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting method and octopus stabilisers. The stabilisers are reusable tissue stabilisers with collapsible pods that enable insertion into and removal from the thoracic cavity through a port, eliminating the need for an incision for the stabiliser's insertion. "It is the first of its kind surgery. It will benefit patients, especially women. One cannot see the scar as it is below the breast," said Dr Trehan, senior cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Apollo.