The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Government Stanley Medical College Hospital (SMCH) performed two complex life-saving cardiac surgeries under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS). One of the surgeries was for removal of a rare left atrial myxoma, heart tumour, from a 61-year-old woman from Vyasarpadi.

According to a press release, the patient underwent an open heart surgery for removal of the left atrial myxoma measuring 4.5 × 2.5 cm after presenting with longstanding breathing difficulty.

Another patient, a 59-year-old labourer from Villupuram, underwent mitral valve replacement for severe mitral valve damage caused by infective endocarditis (heart valve infection).

Both patients recovered well after surgery and are presently stable. The advanced cardiac procedures were performed free of cost under the CMCHIS. These treatments would have cost approximately ₹18 lakh in private hospitals, the release said.

The surgeries highlight the expertise and commitment of SMCH in delivering advanced cardiac care to the public without any financial burden to the patients. The team of surgeons was led by K.S. Saravana Krushna Raja along with the anaesthesia team led by V. J. Karthik and Akila. SMCH dean A. Aravind, Resident Medical Officer B. Vanitha Malar and Medical Superintendent Jothi Kumar appreciated the team, the release said.