30th January, Hyderabad: India’s first Randomized Control Trial in Cardiac Surgery by Dr. Lokeswara Rao Sajja (Internationally Acclaimed Cardiothoracic Surgeon) has received global attention through the inclusion of the study in the latest updated meta-analysis of Coronary Bypass Surgery which is published in February 2022 issue of the International Journal of Surgery, published by Elsevier Publishing Company.

Shri T. Harish Rao, Hon’ble Minister of Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Government of Telangana, congratulated Dr. Lokeswara Rao Sajja on this astounding accomplishment. On behalf of the Government, he has shared his happiness and assured to support such research & study in the field of medical science.

This trial has put India on the world map of Coronary Bypass Surgery. A total of 16 RCTs (which met the inclusion criteria) published between 2003 to 2020 all over the world have been included in the meta-analysis. This meta-analysis showed that the mean age of patients in India is lower than rest of the world. More than 50% of patients undergoing bypass surgery are diabetics in India. Indian surgeons have good surgical expertise in conducting bypass surgery on beating hearts (conversion rate of 0.6%).

Dr. Lokeswara Rao Sajja has participated in 15,000+ open heart surgeries of which 4500 were done under the Arogyasri Scheme with a high degree of success of 99.8%. He is the first surgeon from India who has presented a paper at the Annual Meeting of Prestigious AATS. The present study was also presented by Dr. Sajja at the annual meeting of AATS in 2018. He has published more than 75 original articles in peer-reviewed international journals. He is the founder president of the Society of Coronary Surgeons, which was inaugurated virtually by His Excellency Honourable Vice-President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu Ji in December 2020. India is on par with the rest of the world in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and also Surgical Research. This accomplishment would certainly impart hope & confidence in the hearts of people.

Link to the study- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743919121003757?via%3Dihub