Kolkata's BM Birla Heart Hospital is offering minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) procedures to patients which ensures shorter recovery time and a lower risk of infection to those undergoing the procedure.

A top doctor of the hospital said the medical facility has successfully treated several intricate cardiac surgery cases with the MICS approach.

According to experts, contrary to traditional open-heart surgery, in which a large incision is made through the breastbone or sternum, MICS involves making small incisions in and around the ribs using specialized instruments and robotic assistance. 

Explaining the benefits of MICS for heart patients, Dr Ratan Kumar Das, Director of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) at BM Birla Heart Hospital said, “MICS is an improved and more advanced alternative to traditional open-heart surgery, offering shorter recovery times, a lower risk of infection, reduced blood loss and smaller scars. It is as effective as traditional heart surgery, and also suitable for a wide range of complex cases.”

"We are regularly performing two MICR procedures in our hospital every day now," he said.

Das said the hospital performed over 125 MICR cases in the past six months.

Sharing his thoughts, Dr Debabrata Biswas, Consultant - Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at BM Birla Heart Hospital said there are several myths and misconceptions associated with the procedure.

"Raising awareness about MICS is crucial to dispelling these misconceptions and ensuring that more patients can benefit from this approach," he said.

Debabrata Biswas said the procedure also promises to give 'quality of life' to the patients who are undergoing it.

"I believe in the next five years time patients are going to prefer to go through only minimally invasive cardiac surgery," he said.