PM moved to ICCU after a successful bypass surgery

The repeat beating-heart bypass surgery on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has successfully ended after an eight-hour long operation conducted today at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

The operation was successful and there is nothing to worry about, hospital sources told IANS. However, Dr. Singh’s condition is stable and he has been moved to the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) and will be kept under observation for 48 hours.

'Doctors said they would study his vital parameters and discuss his post-operative care following the surgery,' they added.

A team of 11 doctors led by senior heart surgeon Dr. Ramakant Panda performed the repeat bypass operation on the 76-year-old Singh, who had a history of heart ailments.

A series of medical tests done earlier this week had shown three blockages in his arteries of which two grafts were done of the same blockages through a bypass surgery conducted in UK, and stents were introduced in his arteries through an angioplasty in 2004.

The medical superintendent of AIIMS, Dr. D.K. Sharma told IANS that the ‘beating heart’ surgery was preferred as it was ‘less risky’ despite being a long procedure.

Earlier on Wednesday an angiography was done on the prime minister, but was readmitted into the AIIMS on Friday afternoon after he complained of chest pain and fatigue. On Saturday morning he was wheeled into Operation Theatre-5 and came out after spending more than seven hours.