Doctors at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, successfully treated an 88-year-old diabetic patient suffering from severe heart disease using the advanced technique of Laser Coronary Angioplasty, also known as Excimer Laser Coronary Angioplasty (ELCA).
While addressing a press conference here, Dr RK Jaswal, Head of Department and Director of Cardiology and Cathlabs, Fortis, Mohali, said the said patient had been experiencing severe chest pain and was diagnosed with completely blocked stents that had been implanted more than 30 years ago. “Open-heart surgery was considered too risky, while repeat stenting was also not possible,” he said.
Dr Jaswal said doctors then opted for ELCA, an advanced laser-based procedure developed by Philips India, in which high-intensity laser energy is used to vaporise blockages inside coronary arteries.
“The patient recovered smoothly after the procedure and was discharged from the hospital within two days,” said the doctor.
