AIIMS Guwahati launches cardiac surgery programme

Guwahati: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Guwahati has launched the cardiac surgery programme with two successful open-heart surgeries performed in a single day.

The institute performed open-heart surgeries on a seven-year-old child and a 47-year-old woman from Assam, both suffering from congenital heart defects involving a hole in the heart, according to an official release on Thursday.

The surgeries were successfully performed on September 8 under the leadership of Professor Colonel Dr Ashok Puranik, Executive Director of AIIMS.

“This landmark initiative was made possible through the collective efforts of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery under the leadership of Prof Vineet Mahajan,” the release said.

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“Both patients were provided treatment under the AIIMS initiative supporting the establishment of the Cardiac Surgery Programme. The surgeries were performed using a heart-lung machine (also known as a cardiopulmonary bypass machine) that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs during open-heart surgery,” it said, reports PTI.

The commencement of the Cardiac Surgery Programme marks another significant milestone in the development of AIIMS Guwahati.

It will benefit the people of the Northeast and adjoining states, providing advanced cardiac surgical care closer to home and reducing the need for patients to travel to distant centres for treatment.

“In the near future, the institute plans to further expand the programme to include coronary artery bypass surgery and other advanced cardiac surgical procedures, thereby strengthening its comprehensive cardiac care services,” said the release.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the premier health institution, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS Guwahati), is set to offer specialised healthcare services to former defence personnel and their families under the ECHS initiative of the government, officials said. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the Regional Centre, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Guwahati, on 6 February 2026 at AIIMS Guwahati.

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