AIIMS Madurai launched its cardiac surgery programme on Monday, performing four successful open-heart surgeries on its opening day — bringing life-saving cardiac care to southern Tamil Nadu for the first time.
The programme, led by Dr Sanjay Thiruvenkatam who trained at Cleveland Clinic, USA, offers complex procedures including coronary artery bypass grafting, valve repairs, and paediatric heart surgeries.
Previously, patients from Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi had to travel to Chennai or Bengaluru for cardiac surgeries, often at prohibitive costs or in critical condition after long journeys.