It was good news and a moment of relief for 65-year-old Bhupendra Kumar and his family of Suva, after he recently underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery at Pacific Specialist Healthcare in Nadi.
Kumar says he underwent the surgery last Friday, which gave him a second chance at life.
He says after returning to Fiji from an overseas trip, he started experiencing sharp chest pain and required complex four-vessel coronary artery bypass surgery following medical tests.
He says his family initially considered getting him treated overseas.
However, this would have put extra pressure on him and could have caused his condition to deteriorate due to the long-distance travel.
Kumar says the turning point came when a family friend recommended them Pacific Specialist Healthcare in Nadi.
He adds that after a thorough consultation with the chief surgeon, the family made the decision to have the surgery done in Fiji.
Kumar says he had never thought that something like this could be done locally as well.
While acknowledging the nurses and the surgeon for their support, Kumar says he is now recovering well.
Pacific Specialist Healthcare Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon Dr Sanjeev Kumar Khubley says they have conducted seven heart surgeries this month, including five coronary artery bypass graft procedures, commonly known as CABG, one mediastinal tumour excision and one mitral valve replacement.
He says they are preparing to carry out more procedures in the coming week.
