Dr. Murali P. Vettath

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SUMMARY

Dr. Murali P Vettath is a new generation coronary surgeon – one of the handful of surgeons in the world, performing 100% of his coronary surgeries on beating heart (OPCAB – OFF PUMP CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS) Surgery, without the use of Heart Lung Machine. He has been a pioneer and protagonist of this “cutting edge technology” and has trained numerous surgeons and anaesthesiologists in this field of cardiac surgery around the world.

He has 29 years post MCh experience in Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, including 20 years as Chief Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Has performed 8000 plus open heart surgeries with more than 5000 of them on beating heart for coronary artery bypass surgery with a mortality of less than 0.5%. He has had no conversions on to the Pump in the last Ten years

Performed the first MICS (minimally invasive cardiac surgery) IN KERALA in July 2002. Right anterior mini thoracotomy for closure of ASD.

And ever since have been performing MICS FOR MITRAL AND AORTIC VALVE SURGERIES AS WELL.

Performed the first OPCAB IN 2002 IN NORTH KERALA and has performed more than 5000 OPCABS so far.

Performed the first Total arterial revascularization AND FIRST OPCAB SURGERY (off pump coronary artery bypass) in Dhaka in 1999 and in North Kerala in 2003 and has been performing the same ever since.

Performed the first MICS-OPCAB-TAR in at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban, South Africa in April 2018

Performed the First OPCAB and conducted a workshop at Provincial hospital, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from Nov 26th to 30th, and trained the surgeons there.

Has performed the maximum number of Bentalls procedure (Aortic root replacement) in north Kerala with lowest mortality since 2002.

He has been trained in coronary artery surgery from Australia, Holland and Paris and has transferred technology to Bangladesh in the year 1999. He stayed in Bangladesh for three years and set up two cardiac centers with a contingent of twenty doctors and a hundred nurses from India. Besides he also trained cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, cardiac anaesthesiologists, cardiac nurses and paramedical staff there.

After his stint in Dhaka, Bangladesh, he is now settled in Kozhikode, his home town. Here, he established the Dept. of Cardiac surgery and Transplantation at the Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), Kozhikode (2002-2017)

He came to Kozhikode at a time when all cardiac patients had to go to either Coimbatore or Kochi or even Chennai for their cardiac consultations. After establishing this center and bringing both adult and pediatric cardiac surgery under one roof along with interventional cardiology, he has been instrumental in developing MIMS as a benchmark in Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in the world.

Various programs had been organized by him to make the public aware of the dangers of Heart Disease. With this in mind he organized public marches in 2006, 2007 & 2008 on World Heart Day. More than 2000 participants from all walks of life took part in these marches. Heart exhibitions were conducted in MIMS Calicut to make the people understand heart problems and prevent it. He had also started the “SAVE A HEART – SAVE A LIFE PROGRAMME’, where poor patients are provided hundred percent free CABG – bypass procedure. He has already operated on more than ninety such eligible patients with many more are to follow.

He has also been a keen researcher in cardiac surgery with many inventions and innovations to his credit. He has invented and developed numerous devices for performing beating heart surgery, which has been published in International journals. He has also developed indigenous techniques for performing this procedure with excellent results.

Since June 2017 he has moved over as Chairman of Cardiac surgery, to establish the Cardiac surgical department in Meitra Hospital. Kozhikode. This hospital will be established as – A Center of excellence in Minimally Invasive cardiac surgery and OPCAB surgery.

Within one year we have performed more than 300 OPCABs with no mortality.

Some of his inventions and developments are as follows:

• Vettath’s Anastomotic Obturator (VAO) which is used for performing the proximal anastomosis of the vein graft to the aorta without using the side clamp – Patented in India.
• Vettath’s Technique of Performing Top End Anastomosis of vein Graft using VAO.
• Vettaths’s Blower and Blower Mister.
• Vettath’s modification of Aorto-Coronary Shunt
• Vettath’s –JP Cardioplegia Device
• Vettath’s Technique of Long Mammary Patch Anastomosis.
• Vettath’s modification of the use of IABP in OPCAB.
• Has developed the “First Indian Re-engineered Stabilizer for Beating Heart Surgery”.
• Has developed-The SIMS. (Simple Indian made stabilizer)… which has been sent for patenting-(June 2015)-Performed more that 600 OPCABs with that so far.
• Has developed totally indigenous instruments to perform the first MICS-TAR in India on 13 th Nov 2017
• Developed the following instrumentation for MICS (minimally invasive cardiac surgery)
  MICS- IMA retractor
  MICS –chest spreader
  MICS –Stabilizer
  MICS long instruments – forceps, liga clip applicator and scissors
  

He performed the First Beating heart surgery in Bangladesh in the year 1999.

Performed the first MICS –OPCAB – TAR in South Africa in April 2018.

Performed the First successful Heart transplantation at MIMS on 2nd Nov 2015… and that patient is his doing well so far. That was the second successful Htx in North Kerala.

Have so far performed 3 Heart transplantations in this center. And one has survived more than 2yrs and the other over 20 months.

He has received numerous awards from different organizations in India and abroad for his contributions to cardiac surgery.

He has also conducted live workshops on off pump CABG in Trivandrum, Delhi, Kulashekaram in TN, Ahmedabad. Lima in Peru. Ho Chi Minh city – Vietnam. Dhaka – Bangladesh. Timisoara – Romania, & in Durban & Port Elizabeth -South Africa,

LIVE SURGERIES

• Recently, was in invited to Port Elizabeth, South Africa as Proctor to conduct a workshop at the Provincial hospital, PE and performed 8 OPCABs and trained surgeons there and lectured there for a week from 26th to 30th of November 2018.
• Recently, was in invited to Durban South Africa to conduct a workshop at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central hospital, Durban. Performed 2 OPCABs and MICS…MVR and ASD and MICS-OPCAB-TAR, which was the first of its kind in South Africa.
• Performed OPCAB surgeries at Mookambikai medical college and hospital as charity, Kulasekaram.Tamilnadu, with our team of Surgeons, Anaesthesiologist, Perfusionists and OT staff from 24 th of July 2017 to 29 th July 2017…Performed two case s a day for 5 days. All patients did well and were discharged on the 6 th day in a stable condition.
• Demonstrated the newly developed SIMS (simple Indian made stabilizer) at the U NMehtha institute of Cardiology. Ahmedabad. Gujarat on 25 th May 2017.
• Operated at the Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam on 20 th Nov 2012. Performed OPCAB and MVR there.
• Operated at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on the 19 th and 20 th of Nov 2012.Performed OPCAB to demonstrate the intricacies of the technique.
• Demonstrated the use of VAO at Fortis Heart Institute New Delhi on 14 th Jan 2012 during the National CTCME.
• Performed three OPCAB procedures at two separate hospitals during the XVI International Congress of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery held in LIMA, PERU. S. America. – March 17 th to 18 th 2011.
• Performed two open heart procedures OPCAB- off pump coronary artery bypass surgeries workshop at INSTITUTE OF CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE, Department of cardiac surgery, and Timisoara, ROMANIA between 1 st and 6 th of June 2007, to start their OPCAB programme in their center.
• Performed three OPCAB procedures workshop at THE DEPT. OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY, TRIVANDRUM MEDICAL COLLEGE ON 16 th and 17 th December 2005, to start their OPCAB programme in that center.

CONDUCTED CONFERENCES & VET LABS

He has also conducted workshops at Calicut

• Conducted a workshop on OPCAB surgery for 5 Cardiac surgeons who had come from five different parts of China. This was from July 13 th to 15 th . They had been into the Theater and discussed the intricacies of OPCAB with him.
• The National CME in Cardiac surgery with the Indian Association of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeons of India – CTCME 2007, on 22 nd and 23 rd of September 2007 as the organizing Secretary. Nearly 100 Cardiac Surgeons attended.
• The first annual vet lab on coronary anastomosis- Hands on training- for postgraduates on 4 th and 5 th of February 2006. Nearly 30 post graduates in Cardiac surgery and junior cardiac surgeons attended.

INVITED LECTURES

He has delivered guest lectures in 24 (twenty four) countries as invited faculty and presented his works in more than 25 (twenty five) countries around the world.

• Delivered 2 lectures at 20th Annual Congress of the South African Heart Association & Pan African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR), Africa. Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. from 31 October to 3 November 2019.
  • How to make CABG more accessible across Africa: The Kerala experience – Murali Vettath (India).
  • OPCAB surgery and its financial aspects – Murali Vettath (India)

• Delivered three invited lecture as faculty during the PATS (Pan African thoracic society and SATS (South African thoracic society) congress 2018, held between 12 th to 15 th of April 2018 at Durban, South Africa.
  • Topics:-Developing OPCAB surgery -OPCAB surgery
    – How to avoid conversions.
    – Innovations in OPCAB surgery.
• Delivered an invited lecture as faculty at the 64th Annual Conference of IACTS 1-4 Feb, 2018 held at Visakhapatnam.
  • Topic- Innovations in OPCAB- A VETTATH PERSPECTIVE.
• Delivered an invited lecture as faculty at the 11 th Asian Cardiothoracic surgery specialty update course 2017 held in Singapore between 4 th and 6 th Dec 2017.
  • Topic – OPCAB surgery-Innovations.
• Delivered an Invited lecture as faculty at the 26th WSCTS annual meet held at Capetown. South Africa between 19th and 21st Sep.2016.
  • Topic : Innovation in OPCAB surgery – SIMS ( Simple Mechanical Stabilizer)
• Delivered an Invited lecture as Faculty at the 62nd Annual meeting of Indian Association of Cardiovascular & Thoracic surgeons.-2016held at SGPGIMS, Lucknow, between Feb 18th- 21st, 2016. Theme-Innovations in cardiac surgery…
  • Topic : Innovations in OPCAB
• Delivered an Invited lecture as Faculty at the 25 th WSCTS annual conference held in Edinburg.UK, between Sep 19 th and 22, 2015.
  • Topic- Innovation, re-engineering and reproducibility in OPCAB
• Delivered an Invited lecture as Faculty at the 23 rd annual meeting of Asian Society for Cardiovascular & Thoracic surgery. 11-14 th May 2015. Hong Kong.
  • Topic – INNOVATIONS IN OPCAB SURGERY- A MALABAR EXPERIENCE.
• Delivered an invited lecture on- at the IACTSCON2014, held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala .India. 20 th Feb 2014.
  • Topic-Mechanical complications of Myocardial Infarction.
• Delivered lecture during the WSCTS meet in City of Split, Croatia on the 13 th of Sep 2013
  • Topic-The Role of IABP in OPCAB- A Vettath’s modification
• Was invited to Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, to deliver a lecture series at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City On 18 th and 19 th of Nov 2012 and operate at two hospitals.
• Was invited to deliver 2 lectures during the ATCSA 2012 held between 15TH AND 18TH of NOV 2012, at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Malaysia.
  • Emergency and Redo CABG, made Obsolete, by PCI- A reality.
  • OPCAB without endarterectomy for Diffuse CAD.
• Was invited to deliver 2 lectures during the National CTCME held at Fortis New Delhi, on 14 th -15 th Jan 2012. And operate there to demonstrate the technique of performing Top end anastomosis using Vettath’s anastomotic obturator on the same patient on whom 2 other proximal anastomotic devices were used. VAO was found to be equally effective as the other two- on Flow measurements. Lectures delivered
  • Vettath’s anastomotic obturator and
  • Vettath’s technique of long mammary patch for diffusely diseased LAD without endarterectomy on beating heart.
• Was Invited as Guest faculty to deliver Lectures and Moderate an operative session at the XXth CONGRESO ARGENTINO DE CIRUGIA CARDIOVASCULARY ENDOVASCULAR. Being held at Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 3 rd and 5 th of November 2011.] Lectures delivered:
  • Current status of OPCAB without CPB.
  • The role of IABP in OPCAB – A Vettath’s modification to avoid the Heart Lung Machine.
• Was invited as a faculty to deliver three lectures and operate at 2 hospitals in LIMA, Peru, during their XVI CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL CIRUGIA CARDIACA TORACICA VASCULAR, being held at the LIMA SHERATON between 17 th and 19 th of March 2011. Lectures delivered:
  • Re-engineering in OPCAB, A Vettath’s Perspective.
  • Vettaths technique of long mammary patch for diffusely diseased coronary arteries.
  • Vettath’s anastomotic obturaotor- a device to avoid stroke.As a team, with Dr AV Kannan and Dr Ismail, had the Opportunity to perform 2 OPCABs at the University Hospital and One OPCAB surgery at the Specialty Hospital in LIMA.
• Was invited as faculty to attend the Joint meeting of the 19 th ASCVTS & 21 st ATCSA and 4 th AATS/ ASCVTS Postgraduate course at HOTEL HILTON, Phuket, Thailand, between May 26 th and 29 th 2011 and to deliver a lecture on
  • Role of IABP in OPCAB- A Vettath’s Modification.
• Was invited as a Faculty to Chair a session on – The BIG DEBATE- II at the World Society of Cardiac Thoracic Surgeons meet held at Chennai, India, on 21 st October 2010.
• Was invited to deliver a Guest lecture during THE ATCSA 2010, Congress held at BEIJING, between 28 th and 31 st October 2010.
  • Changing Role Of IABP In OPCAB – A Vettath’s Modification
• At the 17 th Annual meeting of the ASIAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOVASCULAR & THORACIC SURGERY, held at TAIPEI, TAIWAN between March 5 th to 8 th 2009 delivered a lecture on
  • Re-Engineering In OPCAB Surgery
• Dr Vettath was invited by ETHICON to perform a Road Show in CHINA. This was to deliver lectures at three different places in China from June 20 th to July 25 th 2008.The lectures were based on
  • How To Avoid Conversions In OPCABCoronary surgery included only 20% of the Cardiac surgical work in the whole of China. But now with the westernization of the country there is a steady increase in CAD. Hence Cardiac Surgeons had shown a keen interest on the topic. The lectures were at:
    Changchun – North East China – where more than 20 Cardiac Surgeons attended.
    Guangzhou – South China – where about 25 cardiac surgeons attended.
    Nanjing – East China – where 15 cardiac surgeons attended the meeting.
    
• KEYNOTE ADDRESS at the World Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons (WSCTS2008.com), held at KOS ISLAND, GREECE on 2nd May 2008.
  • “Euro- Asian Bridge” – Developing OPCAB Surgery in A Developing Country.
• 16th Annual Congress of the ASIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR & THORACIC SURGERY held between the 14th and the 16th of March 2008, at SINGAPORE. Lecture delivered
  • Difficult OPCABS.
• At the 13TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE INDIAN ASSOCIATION FOR BRONCHOLOGY (IAB) BRONCOCON 2008. 1ST -3RD FEBRUARY 2008 ,KOZHIKODE KERALA.INDIA lecture delivered
  • Lung Volume Reduction Procedures – Surgical Approaches.
• At the 12th BIENNIAL CONGRESS ASSOCIATION OF THORACIC & CARDIOVASCUALR SURGEONS OF ASIA (ATCSA) on 25-28 November 2007. BALI, INDONESIA
  • Can CABG Become A Closed Heart Procedure?
• At the 60TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION FOR THORACIC SURGERY, 17th ,- 20th October, 2007 , SENDAI, JAPAN
  • How To Avoid Conversions In OPCAB
• At the 11TH DANUBIAN FORUM FOR CARDIAC SURGERY on June 1-2 2007 TIMISORA, ROMANIA.
  • How To Avoid Conversions In OPCAB
• At the 15TH ANNUAL MEETING OF ASIAN SOCIETY FOR CARDIO-VASCULAR SURGERY, May, 17 – 20, 2007, BEIJING, CHINA.
  • How To Avoid Conversion In OPCAB – Our Experience.
• At the 14TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EGYPTIAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY on May 2-4 2007 at ALEXANDRIA. EGYPT
  • How To Avoid Conversion In OPCAB
• At the CARDIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA, SUMMER CONFERENCE May 6th 2007 at TRIVANDRUM, INDIA
  • Debate- Multi Vessel Disease – Why I Prefer CABG
• At the 4TH INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF THE ONASSIS CARDIAC SURGERY CENTER: CURRENT ADVANCES IN CARDIAC SURGERY AND CARDIOLOGY held between November 30th -December 2nd 2006 ATHENS GREECE
  • How to Avoid Conversion in OPCAB.
• At the SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME (CT- CME-2006),OF THE INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF CARDIO THORACIC-VASCULAR SURGEONS at MADRAS MEDICAL COLLLEGE held between 2ND –3RD November 2006, CHENNAI INDIA
  • How To Avoid Conversion In OPCAB
• At the 13TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE EGYPTIAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY on 16th March 2006 At CAIRO, EGYPT, delivered a lecture series on MYOCARDIAL REVASCULARISATION
  • Off Pump Reconstruction Of Diffusely Diseased Coronary Arteries – Our Experience
  • OPCAB – How to Avoid Conversions – Our Experience.
  • Vettath’s Anastomotic Obturator– An Indigenous Proximal Anastomotic Device
• On 22nd November 2005 At –THE 17TH BIENNIAL CONGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEONS OF ASIA (ATCSA) in association with PHILIPPINES ASSOCIATION OF THORACIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEONS INC at MAKATI CITY, MANILA,PHILIPPINES.
  • Off-Pump Mammary Patch Reconstruction of the Diffusely Diseased LAD.
• At THE 5TH BIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE PAKISTAN SOCIETY OF CARDIOVASCULAR AND THORACIC SURGEONS, & 1ST HEART SUMMIT OF EMERGENT COUNTRIES held between 27TH and 29TH OF March 2005 at LAHORE, PAKISTAN.
  • Vettath’s Anastomotic Obturator – Our Experience of 269 Proximal Anastomoses
  • OFF-PUMP Reconstruction of Diffusely Diseased LAD without Endarterectomy, easily reproducible. How to do it?
• At the 51st ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR-THORACIC SURGEONS held between 17th to 20th February 2005 at KOCHI, INDIA.
  • Recent Discoveries – Proximal Anastomotic devices
  • Grafting in Difficult Situations