admin
Photo caption:L-R : Dr Vineet Goel, Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, Dr Vikram Aggarwal, Facility Director, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, Dr Ritwick Raj Bhuyan, Director, Adult Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, 72-year-old patient, Dr Archit Pandit, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road and patient’s son
India
healthysoch
New Delhi, May 26, 2025:
In a rare reported medical feat, Team of Doctors at Fortis Escorts, Okhla successfully performed India’s first life-saving dual surgery combining a heart bypass surgery (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting) and breast cancer surgery (Radical Mastectomy) in a single procedure/session on a 72-year-old woman from Bangladesh. The team of doctors comprising of Dr. Ritwick Raj Bhuyan, Director, Adult Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Fortis Escorts, Dr. Archit Pandit, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Escorts, and Dr Vineet Goel, Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Escorts, performed robot-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) followed by the removal of the cancerous breast and nearby glands. The surgery lasted for around 11 hours and the patient was discharged in a stable condition after 12 days.
Upon admission at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, the patient was having difficulty in breathing, was severely fatigued, and was bleeding from a large open and infected wound on her right breast. Initial medical evaluations revealed heart failure due to severe blockages in three major blood vessels of the heart alongwith an advanced, infected and bleeding Stage 3 breast cancer. The patient’s heart was too weak to withstand the cancer surgery and her cancer was too advanced to delay any further treatment. Thus, the medical team decided to proceed with an immediate dual-surgical approach. First, a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to restore blood supply to the heart, followed immediately by a surgery to remove the cancerous breast and nearby infection-fighting glands (modified radical mastectomy) was performed. This rare and challenging surgical approach was undertaken to address both the life-threatening conditions in a single session.
Giving details of the case, Dr. Ritwick Raj Bhuyan, Director, Adult Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, New Delhi said, “This was more than just a surgical success, it was an example of what timely multi-disciplinary teamwork and compassionate care can achieve. Performing a high-risk cardiac bypass on a patient in such a weak condition is challenging in itself. But what made this case truly difficult was the need to follow it up with cancer surgery in the same session. We opted for a robot-aided surgery which involves performing heart bypass surgery through small incisions on the side of the chest, rather than a larger incision through the breastbone, as in traditional open-heart surgery.”
Dr. Archit Pandit, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, New Delhi said, “The patient’s breast cancer had reached a critical stage, the tumor had ulcerated the skin and was bleeding continuously, which posed an immediate risk to life. However, her heart condition made a standalone cancer surgery impossible. That’s when we decided to take the rare route of dual surgery. Soon after the bypass, without changing the surgical field, we proceeded with a modified radical mastectomy. The surgery was successful, and the patient was discharged in stable condition. Any delay in treatment would have been life-threatening.”
Dr Vikram Aggarwal, Facility Director, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, New Delhi said, “This rare case marks India’s first reported successful surgical intervention, underscoring the hospital’s leadership in multidisciplinary care. Our dedicated team of doctors, led by Dr. Ritwick Raj Bhuyan and Dr. Archit Pandit demonstrated outstanding expertise and teamwork. This successful outcome not only reinforces our position as a centre of excellence but also brings hope to patients across borders who are looking for advanced, life-saving medical solutions.”
HealthySoch
