Meet brings together patients recovered from heart surgeries

Bengaluru: Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, undertook a distinctive approach to acknowledge and celebrate the journey of patients and their caregivers who have successfully recovered from heart surgeries. The session was led by Dr Vivek Jawali- Chief, Cardiothoracic, and Vascular and Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences- Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru. The session is a part of the patient support program at the hospital- Aasha- a new beginning to a hearty life.

A series of activities were held for the patients who had undergone open-heart surgery and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting over the past 6 months as part of Aasha, a patient support group program initiated by Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore.

Around 50 patients who have successfully undergone CABG and open heart surgery at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road came together to share their experience and lifestyle choices post-surgery to maintain good health and the role of their families, who stood like a pillar for them. On the platform of Aasha- a new beginning to a hearty life, Dr Sudarshan GT- Consultant-Cardio Vascular and Thoracic Surgery-Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road shared insights on leading a healthy life post surgery which was followed by a Q&A session with patients and their families.

A yoga session followed the event and some fun-filled games and activities to educate patients on staying active to keep their heart healthy. The first session of Aasha, was conducted on World Cancer Day (February 4), 2021 to acknowledge the spirit of cancer survivors.

The Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru, Chief, Cardiothoracic, and Vascular and Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Dr Vivek Jawali said, "It was an amazing experience to interact with my past patients and see them healthy and recovering from the surgery. It was great to see patients and their families sharing their experiences of pre and post-surgery. CABG is the most common type of open-heart surgery that improves the patient's quality of life and increases the life expectancy. While the recovery period post-CABG has reduced due to medical advancements, however, it is essential to make lifestyle changes and take proper care post-CABG."

As part of the interactive session, a patient named Dr Prashant Fadnavis, who is also a passionate marathon runner came forward to share his pre and post treatment journey. Dr Fadnavis shares, "I have been a passionate runner since 2016 and have been participating in a lot of marathons, however in June 2018, I started experiencing chest pain which was later followed by pain in upper arm due to which I had to take a break from running on the advice of doctor.

In February 2019, I was diagnosed with ischemic heart disease (blockage in the arteries) and was advised to undergo open heart surgery under Dr Vivek Jawali. The surgery went on well and in June 2019 , 4 months after the surgery, I underwent a TMT which came negative for inducible ischaemia and Dr Jawali cleared me for resuming my running. Initially I was a bit apprehensive but he said that he was sure that he had done a good job on me and that I could restart my running in small gradual increments. I followed his advice and started to first brisk walk and then very gradually jog."

'After about 6 months post-surgery I started to run again. I ran my first 10K event in September 2019 clocking 65 minutes and 15 seconds. In February 2020 , 1 year and 11 days after the surgery I ran my first half marathon in New Delhi ( a distance of 21.1 km ) and clocked 1 hour 54 minutes and 12 seconds. This year on March 27 I ran my first full marathon ( a distance of 42.2 km ) in New Delhi and clocked 3 hours 57 minutes and 43 seconds. On May 15th 2022 I ran the TCS World 10K Bengaluru and came 428th overall clocking 47 minutes and 21 seconds. Through all this period of 3 years I have had regular follow ups about every 6 months to check on how I am progressing health-wise with yearly TMTs and 2D-Echos and other blood tests under Dr Jawali. I am thankful to Dr Vivek Jawali for the care given which not only saved my life with their timely interventions but also ensured that I was restored to full fitness to pursue my passion of running', he said.

WHO states that approximately 4280 people in every one lakh die each year from sudden cardiac arrests in India alone. According a report by NCBI, Cardiovascular diseases are on a rise among younger people with over 50 per cent of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) mortality occurring in individuals aged less than 50 years. Population living in cities are three times more prone to heart attacks than people living in villages. Increasing rates of CAD in India in last three decades sends an alarm to look for the factors responsible for its increasing prevalence.