Medica Superspecialty Hospital, the leading hospital chain in Eastern India, marked a significant achievement by hosting a live cardiac surgical workshop in collaboration with the prestigious American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). Mr. Narayan Swaroop Nigam (IAS), Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal attended as the Chief Guest and Dr. Siddhartha Niyogi, Director of Health Services Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, was the Guest of Honour, in the inaugural ceremony. The knowledge exchange workshop witnessed the presence of esteemed international faculties, including Program Director, Dr. Marc R. Moon, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Heart Institute, and AATS faculties like Dr. Piroze M. Davierwala, Toronto General Hospital, Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy, Mount Sinai Health System, Dr. Sitaram M. Emami, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Puja Kachroo, Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes Jewish Hospital, and Dr. S. Chris Malaisrie, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. Kunal Sarkar, Senior Vice Chairman & Senior Consultant of the department of Cardiac Surgery, Medica Institute of Cardiac Sciences (MICS) and other renowned doctors from the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of West Bengal were an integral part of this workshop.
American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) is the apex academic body of cardiac surgeons globally. The expertise and best practices they implement through their academic/educational knowledge exchange programs through journals, academic research publications are almost gold equivalent in the domain of cardio thoracic surgeons. The workshop showcased live demonstrations of critical surgical procedures involving AORTIC, MITRAL, CABG, with a specific focus on structural and coronary heart disease. Renowned surgeons from institutions such as the Texas Heart Institute, Chicago, Illinois, Bristol, and Cleveland Clinic conducted four surgeries throughout the day. Beyond highlighting surgical skills, the workshop provided a platform for in-depth discussions and lectures.
Notably, the impact of the workshop extended beyond the physical attendees in Kolkata, as it was broadcasted live to surgeons worldwide. This global reach facilitated a unique opportunity for knowledge exchange on an international scale. Dr. Kofidis, a senior Greek surgeon operating between Singapore and Athens, also made a valuable contribution to the workshop by broadcasting a particular case from Athens.
Sharing his thoughts on the live surgery workshop, Dr. Kunal Sarkar, stated, “We were fortunate this year to host the live cardiac surgical workshop in association with the American Association for Thoracic Surgeons (AATS) in Kolkata. Over the past two years, my national colleagues and I collaborated to bring them to India for insightful academic engagements. Having been active in Latin America, China, and other regions, their visit to India was a rarity. As a part of our annual medical event, they played a crucial role, conducting live demonstrations of critical surgical procedures related to structural and coronary heart disease. Today, they performed four surgeries, with two surgeons collaborating on each, followed by in-depth discussions. These surgeons, renowned for their contributions to medical textbooks and journals, shared their expertise, enriching our understanding of surgical techniques. This event was a great learning experience for young as well as senior surgeons. And similarly, our surgeons can also add into our practices and ideas to them during the live learning session, allowing us to observe and learn from their unique methods. While surgeons at Medica participated, we handed over the primary operating room responsibilities to them, recognizing the invaluable learning experience it provided.”
Mr. Ayanabh Debgupta, Jt. Managing Director, Medica Group of Hospitals, shared, “Medica’s role in organizing workshop of this magnitude goes beyond hosting; it embodies our dedication to promoting excellence in medical education and knowledge exchange with the esteemed surgeons. By providing a platform for global experts to share their insights and techniques, we contribute to the professional growth of our healthcare community. The live surgery workshop is rightfully a forum for observation and a testament to our commitment to ensuring that our surgeons, both young and seasoned, have access to the latest advancements and best practices in cardiac surgery, enriching our collective knowledge, elevating the standard of care we deliver to our patients.”
