A new success by Dr. H S Bedi at CMC Ludhiana

Rare major open heart surgery saves  a new life
Ludhiana, 16th July, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria)

Mr Vikas Masih – a   35 year old teacher – was in a very serious condition. He had developed a large blood clot in his lungs – a condition called massive pulmonary embolism – due to which he was not able to breathe. He was referred to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. On examination and investigation Dr Bedi realized that Mr Vikas was in imminent danger of death as his oxygen levels were dangerously low. This was damaging his brain and kidneys.
He had already been put on maximal medical therapy including the latest blood thinners at another hospital – but they did not work. The only option to save his life now was a major and rare open heart surgery called pulmonary thrombo-endarterectomy. Dr Bedi said that the surgery is done on a heart lung machine but additionally for a short period of time the circulation even through the heart lung machine has to be stopped. This is called circulatory arrest and is like totally stopping the heart and the lungs - both the natural and artificial ones.
Dr Bedi explained that this is because otherwise the blockage in the lungs cannot be seen clearly. During the tense 10 minutes while the patient was ‘clinically dead’ - on no circulation at all – his lungs were totally cleared of all the deadly clot. Dr Bedi is a pioneer in this field and in fact has trained in this rare surgery at the St Vincents Hospital in Sydney. However this was a very challenging case as Vikas is very young and this extent of disease was unexpected.
The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr Sheetal Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Reenus ,  Dr Dinesh, Dr Pratap, Dr William, Dr Pearl,  Dr Savan, Dr Meenu, DR Nina and Dr Ashwin  . The heart lung machine was manned by Mr Jairus and Mr William – who are the senior most perfusionists of Punjab – along with Mr Mathew.
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to bringing the latest technology to Punjab so that the people of this area were given the best possible therapy.  

Loving care of five daughters proved as a miracle

CMC Saved a woman suffering from massive blood lots

In a  happy mood Mrs Amrit Kaur and family with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi

Ludhiana, 6th April, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Mrs Amrit Kaur–a 65 year old lady - W/o S. Gurcharan Singh of Janakpuri was in a serious condition. She had developed a large clot in her left leg which was in imminent danger of getting loose and blocking her lungs. She was seen in the Emergency by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. On examination and investigation Dr Bedi found that she already had previous episodes of pulmonary embolism. As it is – she suffered from a lung disease called Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis for which she was already under treatment. Her lung functions were very low because of the ILD and any further pulmonary embolism would have been potentially fatal. After a thorough check up she underwent a new procedure called catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) with a strong blood thinner – tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) . Dr Bedi explained that this clot buster is given directly into the clot so that it can dissolve the clot faster. As she already had pulmonary embolism so before the therapy – a filter called IVC filter was placed in her vein to trap any small clots and prevent them from entering the lungs. The CMC & H is one of the few centres doing endovascular surgery . Dr Bedi is trained in this specialized advanced therapy and holds Limca Book World Record on a different form of vascular surgery too .
According to Dr Bedi, chronic venous disease is quite common in India as most of our population works in the standing position, leading to pressure on the veins which dilate. It is estimated that over a lakh die due to venous disease (DVT and PE) each year is the equivalent of the disappearance of a city the size of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Dr Bedi told that the Obese and elderly are at greater risk of DVT while women who take birth-control pills are 10 times more likely to develop blood clots . Long distance flights are another risk factor. Those taking multiple flights over a short period of time are also at a higher risk. This is because the risk of DVT does not go away completely after a flight is over, and the risk remains elevated for about four weeks. It is interesting to note that the famous tennis player – Serena Williams - suffered from the same condition some time back. Even the research of World Health Organisation on DVT shows that the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) doubles after travel lasting for over two hours. The study of the WHO Research Into Global Hazards of Travel (WRIGHT) project, which was conducted by scientists from Britain, Switzerland and Netherlands, said the risk of developing blood clots during any form of travel longer than four hours was one case for every 15 fully-booked jumbo jets.
The symptoms of DVT include pain or cramp in the calves and swelling of the leg.
DVT and PE are often silent conditions – they can occur suddenly and without symptoms. Pulmonary embolism has a very rapid and deadly progress unless detected and treated in time.
The month of March has been allocated as the DVT Awareness Month in memory of Mr David Bloom – a NBC reporter in Iraq who died of DVT. His widow Melanie Bloom has started the Coalition for Prevention of DVT. The Vascular Society of India and the Venous Association of India - of which Dr Bedi is an integral part - have been very active in this regard.
Mrs Amrit Kaur is now well – her leg is back to normal. The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Deepak, Dr Vaishu, Dr Sarah and Dr Amrutha. Dr Avinash Kumar – Asst Prof Radiology – helped with the Radiology part of the therapy.
Dr Bedi was especially impressed with the loving care given to Mrs Amrit Kaur by her husband and 5 daughters . Both Mrs Amrit Kaur and Sardar Gurcharan Singh were of the firm opinion that daughters are as good or even better than sons.
Dr AG Thomas – Director of CMC - told that CMC was one of the very few Institutes in the region dealing with the successful management of this disease entity.

A 30 years old Punjabi farmer got a new life from CMC

Bypass on a beating heart the risk of the repair is reduced:Dr.Bedi

A happy Mr Baljinder and family with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi 

Ludhiana, 17th March, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Mr Baljinder Singh – a 30 year old farmer of Nakodar – was in a difficult situation. This young man had suffered 2 massive heart attacks 4 and 2 years back due to which his heart pumping was very weak and he was unable to breathe. He was investigated at heart hospitals in Chandigarh where it was diagnosed that besides blockage of his heart arteries he also had a severe leakage of his main heart valve (the mitral valve). He was in imminent danger of another heart attack but because of his double pathology (blockage + valve leakage) he was refused surgery. He then came to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. Dr Bedi realized that the valve leakage was not due to an intrinsic defect or tear of the valve but was due to the heart size becoming big (dilating) leading to failure of the valve to close properly. Contrary to popular Punjabi belief – Dr Bedi said – a ‘large’ heart is not really a healthy heart. The leakage led to a vicious cycle wherein the leak caused a further enlargement which in turn leads to more leakage. Till now the treatment was a complicated valve repair which was not always successful or a valve replacement which had its own problems.  A new repair technique is now being used all over the world – it is called a mitral valve repair using a McCartney-Carpentier-Adams Edwards IMR ring. This has been designed by Edwards company of USA in collaboration with world leaders in valve repair techniques – Dr McCartney and Dr  Adams from USA and the legendary Dr Carpentier from Paris . This technique was taught to Dr Bedi by the inventor Dr McCartney himself. Dr Bedi added his own modification by doing the bypass first on a beating heart - Dr Bedi is credited with having done the world’s first series of beating heart surgery and has a Limca World Record for the same. Dr Bedi explained that by doing the bypass on a beating heart the risk of the repair is reduced. The heart was then put on an imported heart lung machine for a very short time and stopped with ice. The heart chambers were opened and the valve repaired successfully with this new ring. The operation was successful and the valve leakage immediately stopped.

Baljinder is now doing well. The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Deepak, Dr Vaishu, Dr Amruta, Dr Sarah, and Mr Jairus, and Mr William. Dr Bedi explained that if the valve had been changed Baljinder would have required life long close supervision and expensive medications. Dr McCartney has congratulated Dr Bedi and CMC on the excellent result and complimented him on his skills.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the CMC was committed to bringing International level expertise and equipment to the people of the region.

Art for Heart also

Art technology used to cure the heart diseases

In the current era where heart disease has touched epidemic proportions in India according to WHO - there is something to cheer about. Just simple tests and lifestyle changes and regular exercise can dramatically reduce the chances of suffering from a heart attack.

At a recently concluded free cardiac camp in Jagraon conducted by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana – some very positive findings have come up. At the camp which was inaugurated by Baba Ghalla Singh ji of Nanaksar   - himself a cured patient of Dr HS Bedi - a comprehensive cardiac checkup was performed on over 250 patients of Jagraon and the surrounding villages. Free consultations by super-specialists, free tests and medications would be given. A special test for vascular disease – The ABI test – was done for all patients where indicated. For the first time ever – a very high tech tool – the i-stat – which is available in CMC & H was used to screen all people . Dr Bedi explained that in this test just a drop of blood is used give about 15 parameters to judge a person’s health. It was found that people who exercised regularly or performed yoga had their hearts in good shape, and had cholesterol levels and blood pressure under control  . Dr Bedi was very encouraged with these findings for they suggest that a simple regimen of exercise, prudent diet, weight control and regular checkups could indeed keep the hearts of Punjabis in good shape. He stressed that the aim of preventive medicine was – ‘The hearts of Punjabis should not just tick – they should beat strongly’.

Interestingly similar reports have been found worldwide. Currently around one in five menopausal women die from heart disease. But according to new research by exercise scientists at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), this shocking statistic could be reversed if women took just 30 minutes to exercise, 5 days a week. Similarly a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that walking briskly for half an hour cut the risk of premature death in men and women by 44 percent.

There is some confusion about the type and intensity of exercise required. For cardiovascular fitness, you need to do a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week, working hard enough that you break a sweat or are mildly out of breath. If you work out on a treadmill you should walk at a speed of at least four miles per hour on a level. If it’s on an incline, you can go a little more slowly.

Punjabis have a genetic predisposition to heart disease. You can’t do anything about your genes just yet—but you can lower that risk through lifestyle changes. Diet, yoga, exercise, regular physical checkups—all of these can help. Diabetes and high blood pressure can be detected and kept under control. It is time that we invested in our health and fitness now to ensure a real quality of life in later years – just as we plan a financial pension plan for our future. So, strap on your sneakers and start striding in the park – said Dr Bedi .

Aim for a target heart rate during exercise.  Make monitoring your heart rate an integral part of your workout routine. It's a safer, more effective way to exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Here's how to calculate your target heart rate range:

-Estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. 

- Determine your lower-limit exercise heart rate: multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.6.

- Calculate your upper-limit exercise heart rate: multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.9.

For most people, working out at the lower end of the heart rate range for a longer time is better than exercising at the higher end for a shorter period.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the outreach programmes were an integral and important part of the basic philosophy of CMC so that medical care could reach one and all in this region.

Dr. Bedi of CMC saved an NRI patient

Mr Notra had severe heart disease
Ludhiana// 8th December, 2011//Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria

Patient Randhir Singh Notra in happy mood with Dr. H S Bedi

Punjab is slowly developing as the hub of medical tourism in North India after New Delhi. In view of the excellent cardiac surgery results of CMC Hospital–a number of NRI patients are being referred as a part of medical tourism. Not only are the services up to International standards but the cost is much less. 

The latest patient referred was Randhir Singh Notra from Dubai. His healthcare provider - Fathima Healthcare Management Services– UAE – after doing a thorough background check– decided to refer Mr Notra to Dr Harinder Singh Bedi– Head of Cardio Vascular Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. Dr Bedi told that Mr Notra had severe heart disease and underwent a minimally invasive total arterial beating heart bypass.

Mr Notra said that he was extremely satisfied with his treatment at CMC . He felt that the quality of the doctors, the paramedical staff, the technology available was on par with the best in the West. Additionally the compassion and care that he saw being given to all patients was priceless. Added to this is the fact that the same therapy in the West would cost about 10 times more. His healthcare provider had told him that Dr Bedi was a world leader in the beating heart technology which gives a safe and long lasting therapy to heart patients. Dr Bedi has his name in the Limca Book of World Records for innovating in the field of beating heart surgery.

Dr Abraham G Thomas–Director of CMC Hospital  reiterated that the CMC being one of the oldest Institutes of India was always in the forefront on imparting quality medical care to not only people of this region but also patients from all over the country and abroad.

Plan the health like a pension plan for future-Dr. Bedi

‘The hearts of Punjabis should not just tick–they should beat strongly’
Ludhiana//16 November 2011// Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria

Dr. Bedi during a camp (File photo: The Eagle Eye News)


In the current era where heart disease has touched epidemic proportions in India according to WHO there is something to cheer about. Just simple lifestyle changes and regular exercise can dramatically reduce the chances of suffering from a heart attack.    

At a recently concluded cardiac check up camp conducted by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana- some very positive findings have come up. At the camp a comprehensive cardiac checkup was performed on a cross section of the community of Samana and all surrounding areas. 400 patients were examined at the camp which was jointly organized with the Registered Medical Practitioners Association, Samana. All patients underwent a thorough examination by superspecialist doctors along with special blood tests. A unique feature was the addition of a dietary consultation and of supervised yoga therapy for all patients and attendants.  It was found that people who exercised regularly or performed yoga had their hearts in good shape, and had cholesterol levels and blood pressure under control. Dr Bedi was very encouraged with these findings for they suggest that a simple regimen of exercise, prudent diet, weight control and regular checkups could indeed keep the hearts of Punjabis in good shape. He stressed that the aim of preventive medicine was – ‘The hearts of Punjabis should not just tick – they should beat strongly’.

Interestingly similar reports have been found worldwide. Currently around one in five menopausal women die from heart disease. But according to new research by exercise scientists at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), this shocking statistic could be reversed if women took just 30 minutes to exercise, 5 days a week. Similarly a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that walking briskly for half an hour cut the risk of premature death in men and women by 44 percent.

There is some confusion about the type and intensity of exercise required. For cardiovascular fitness, you need to do a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week, working hard enough that you break a sweat or are mildly out of breath. If you work out on a treadmill you should walk at a speed of at least four miles per hour on a level. If it’s on an incline, you can go a little more slowly.

Aim for a target heart rate during exercise.  Make monitoring your heart rate an integral part of your workout routine. It's a safer, more effective way to exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Here's how to calculate your target heart rate range:

- Estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.
- Determine your lower-limit exercise heart rate: multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.6.

- Calculate your upper-limit exercise heart rate: multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.9.

For most people, working out at the lower end of the heart rate range for a longer time is better than exercising at the higher end for a shorter period.

Punjabis have a genetic predisposition to heart disease. You can’t do anything about your genes just yet—but you can lower that risk through lifestyle changes. Diet, yoga, exercise, regular physical checkups—all of these can help. Diabetes and high blood pressure can be detected and kept under control. It is time that we invested in our health and fitness now to ensure a real quality of life in later years – just as we plan a financial pension plan for our future. So, strap on your sneakers and start striding in the park.

I still remember M F Hussain---Dr. H S Bedi

Husain painting in Dr Bedi's office in CMC

Maqbool Fida Husain was a very lively and active person and truly young at heart. These were the observations of Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana – who had operated upon Mr Husain for bypass surgery when he was a Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at the Escorts Heart Institute in New Delhi in 1989.

Dr Bedi still remembers Mr Husain making a remarkable recovery. He was then 74 years old but even then had a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his walk. Those days we were doing bypass surgery with the heart lung machine – said Dr Bedi (beating heart surgery developed later – and Dr Bedi has been a world leader in the beating heart technique - with his name in the Limca Book of World Records for the Worlds  first multivessel beating heart series with angiograms published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery USA) . Dr Bedi remembers that in spite of having used a heart lung machine and having stopped his heart for over 45 minutes to do the triple bypass – Mr Husain was up and about in 2 days. He was shifted to the VIP room on the 3^rd Floor. At rounds on the 4^th day he asked Dr Bedi to give him his letterhead and next day gave him a beautiful sketch. It was of Mother Teresa tending to two children.. It was this is still with Dr Bedi and is a prize possession in his office. Dr Bedi remembered that he joked with all the doctors and nurses and was a really model patient.  In fact he offered his help in counseling the other patient’s pre and post op while he was there. Dr Bedi felt that he was fortunate to have met such a lovely and talented personality and was sad that he was no more. --Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria

नहीं रहे कैनवस और रंगों के जादूगर एम एफ हुसैन