Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, May 1: The Department of General Surgery at the Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, has successfully performed a maiden thoracic surgery, marking it as the first among the newly established medical colleges across J&K to undertake such a life-saving and risky procedure.
According to details shared by the participating doctors, the surgery-which had a prime role of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (CVTS) division of the department-was conducted on a 25-year-old male who had developed pus accumulation in the chest cavity, subsequently affecting the lungs.
Dr. Mir Mushtaq, a CVTS surgeon at GMC Baramulla and who was part of the surgery, explained, “The right side of the lungs was constricted and unable to expand due to the empyema (pus) that had accumulated in the chest cavity. This condition resulted from tuberculosis.”
Describing the surgical procedure, he mentioned that the chest cavity was opened to drain the pus, which had spread beneath the skin.
“The procedure involved the use of specialized equipment to open the cavity and clear the pus, along with removing the affected layer of the lungs. Such surgeries carry significant risks,” he added, acknowledging the timely referral of the patient by Dr. Shumail Bashir, Pulmonologist at the GMC
The right posterolateral thoracotomy with decortication-which is the opening up of the chest cavity and the removal of the fibrous layer on lungs-was done by Dr H.Vaqar, HOD Surgery, Dr Mir Mushtaq, Dr Aijaz under the Anaesthetic control of Dr Tahira Consultant Anaesthesia with the technical support of Nazir Ahmad, Mudasir, and Abdul Hameed.
The doctors commended the efforts of Dr. Ruby Reshi, Principal of GMC Baramulla, and particularly acknowledged Dr. Pervaiz Masoodi, Medical Superintendent of Associated Hospital, GMC Baramulla, for ensuring the availability of necessary equipment, facilitating the smooth execution of the surgery.
Dr. Masoodi expressed his congratulations to the Department of General Surgery, regarding this achievement as a significant accomplishment and anticipating further advancements in patient care through the performance of additional advanced surgeries.
Officials highlighted that such surgeries are typically conducted at only three healthcare facilities in J&K, including SKIMS, Super Specialty Hospital in Srinagar, and Government Medical College in Jammu, making GMC Baramulla the first among peripheral healthcare institutions and newly established medical colleges to achieve this milestone.
The doctors emphasized the substantial benefits of thoracic surgery for patients, noting that an estimated 30 percent of patients requiring such surgeries would face fatal outcomes without timely intervention.
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