At Advance Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgery department of Dr Bheemrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur the first ever ‘Aorta Bi Popliteal Bypass’ surgery, in Chhattisgarh was conducted  on a 72-year-old man, to give him a new lease of life that also free of cost under Ayushman scheme.

According to Dr Krishnakant Sahu, a vascular surgeon, and head of the department the diseases is termed as peripheral vascular disease (PAD) and in technical term ‘Aorta iliac and popliteal artery diseases’.

The diseases causes blockage from the abdominal aorta to popliteal artery, from abdomen to knee and to remove the blockage, generally bypass surgery is conducted. As per an estimate, the cost of such an operation in a    private hospital will  be above Rs 4.5 lakh.

Dr Sahu said, 72-year-old Balaghat resident, a farmer by profession, was a smoker of ‘Beedi’ since childhood. He does not have any other diseases. Since last 6 months, he had been undergoing treatment in different hospitals and finally reached Medical College Hospital in surgery department for amputation of his leg affected by gangrene up to knee and became septic. He recovered a bit from treatment. During the CT-angiography probe, it was found that due to blockage from abdomen to the knees such a situation had arisen.

Dr Sahu pointed out such a long y-graft is not available and so two different grafts were used to make it long. After the surgery, now he is alright but a part of his leg could need amputation as the area is already dead. He can use artificial part for normal walking. The operation continued for more than four and a half hours.