Source ForPressRelease.com

Marking a significant advancement in cardiac care, Manipal Hospital, Saltlake — part of Manipal Hospitals, one of India’s largest healthcare networks — has successfully performed its first-ever Orbital Atherectomy, a state-of-the-art procedure designed to treat hard, calcified blockages in the coronary arteries. The life-saving intervention was carried out under the supervision of Dr. (Prof.) Partha Sarathi Banerjee, Senior Consultant – Cardiology, Manipal Hospital, Saltlake, and Dr. Arindam Pande, Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, Saltlake, on Mr. Ramesh (name changed), a 65+ year-old male patient with uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure. The patient had previously undergone an angioplasty (a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle) in December 2024 but returned with recurring chest pain while doing normal physical activities just a few months later.



The patient was admitted, and a coronary angiography (heart arteries visualisation) performed by Dr. (Prof.) Partha Sarathi Banerjee and Dr. Arindam Pande, showed three new blockages. One of these was in the LAD (Left Anterior Descending artery), one of the major blood vessels that supply blood to the front portion of the heart, just after the previously inserted stent. Second, was in the Left Circumflex artery (LCX) that provides blood to the left ventricular muscle on the side and rear portion of the organ. Upon further investigation, doctors found a very tight, heavily calcified blockage in the RCA (Right Coronary Artery), a blood vessel that supplies oxygen to the right and lower parts of the heart. The doctor advised bypass surgery, but the patient declined due to its invasive nature.



Later, the patient had Angioplasty for two days for LAD and LCX which were completed successfully on the first day. But the blockage in the RCA was so hard and calcified—like a stone—that it was impossible to open with standard angioplasty tools. A unique new procedure known as Orbital Atherectomy was employed by the cardiologists on the second day of the procedure. This procedure uses a diamond-tipped rotating device that spins very fast to break the calcium inside the artery. When the calcium was cleared, three stents were placed to open the artery completely, 100% blood flow was restored, and the patient remained stable and recovered well in the ICU. This procedure uses a diamond-tipped rotating device that spins very fast to break the calcium inside the artery. When the calcium was cleared, three stents were placed to open the artery completely, 100% blood flow was restored, and the patient remained stable and recovered well in the ICU.



While explaining the case, Dr. (Prof.) Partha Sarathi Banerjee, Senior Consultant – Cardiology shared, “The use of Orbital Atherectomy in this case was not just a clinical necessity but a strategic decision to embrace innovation for the patient’s long-term benefit. In today’s ever-evolving medical landscape, it is critical for us to adopt advance procedures those can offer safer, more effective outcomes — especially in high-risk and complex cases. Each such intervention brings us a step closer to redefining patient recovery, quality of life, and future readiness in cardiac care.”



Dr. Arindam Pande, Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiologist, opined, “In this case, the blockage in the right coronary artery was extremely hard and couldn’t be treated with regular angioplasty tools. Orbital Atherectomy helped us to safely break the calcium and prepare the artery for stenting. The patient recovered well, showing how useful such advanced techniques are for treating difficult blocked arteries. This marks an important step forward in handling similar high-risk patients at our hospital.”