Panaji: On World Heart Day, Manipal Hospital Goa hosted a press conference highlighting the importance of prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment of cardiovascular disease, while highlighting advancements in complex cardiac care.
The conference featured presentations by Dr. Rakesh Deshmane, Consultant – Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS); Dr. Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology; Dr. Jyoti Kusnur, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology; Dr. Noel Henriques, Consultant – Cardiology; Dr. Pankaj Mhatre, Consultant – Nuclear Medicine; and Dr. Nikhil Sontakke, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Divya Mahaldar, Cardiac Anesthesiologist was also present on the dais.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Surendra Prasad, Hospital Director, Manipal Hospital Goa, said, “Heart health begins long before a cardiac emergency. Awareness, regular health checks and timely medical intervention can play an important role in preventing complications. At Manipal Hospital Goa, our focus is to combine clinical expertise and advanced technology to provide comprehensive cardiac care while encouraging people to take greater ownership of their heart health.”
Dr. Rakesh Deshmane, Consultant – Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), spoke about the importance of timely surgical intervention in complex heart conditions and the role of a multidisciplinary cardiac team in managing patients requiring advanced care. He highlighted how advancements in cardiac surgery are enabling hospitals to manage increasingly complex cases while keeping patient safety and outcomes at the centre of treatment.
Dr. Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology, highlighted the importance of prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment in reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease. He emphasised the need for individuals to regularly monitor key risk factors such as blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, while also recognising warning symptoms and seeking medical attention immediately. He stressed that awareness and timely action can play a crucial role in preventing serious cardiac complications.
Dr. Jyoti Kusnur, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology, highlighted how minimally invasive interventions can effectively treat patients across age groups. She presented cases of a 98-year-old patient successfully treated with a permanent pacemaker and a young woman with an atrial septal defect treated through transcatheter device closure, demonstrating the role of timely intervention and appropriate patient selection in improving outcomes.
Dr. Noel Henriques, Consultant – Cardiology, highlighted the importance of comprehensive cardiac investigations for early and accurate diagnosis. He discussed routine and advanced tools including ECG, echocardiography, stress testing, Holter monitoring, Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography and Transesophageal Echocardiography, which help clinicians assess cardiac function and guide timely treatment.
Dr. Pankaj Mhatre, Consultant – Nuclear Medicine, highlighted the growing role of nuclear medicine and PET-CT in cardiac care, particularly in assessing blood flow, heart-muscle viability and metabolic activity. He highlighted Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Cardiac PET as important tools for identifying ischemia, distinguishing scarred heart muscle from viable tissue and supporting treatment decisions such as angioplasty or bypass surgery. He also spoke about specialised applications in assessing cardiac function, inflammatory conditions and cardiac amyloidosis.
Dr. Nikhil Sontakke, Consultant – Interventional Cardiology, highlighted two significant advances in complex cardiac care at Manipal Hospital Goa. He spoke about TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair), a minimally invasive treatment for mitral valve regurgitation that avoids open-heart surgery and major chest incisions, enabling faster recovery. He also discussed the hospital’s successful Goa-first indigenous MyVAD mechanical circulatory support-guided high-risk angioplasty in a 57-year-old woman with acute coronary syndrome and decompensated heart failure. The latter procedure used temporary mechanical support to help maintain blood circulation while doctors treated multiple blocked heart vessels.
As part of the World Heart Day initiative, Manipal Hospital Goa also launched its Healthy Heart Package, encouraging individuals to undertake preventive cardiac health assessments and identify potential risks early.
The event concluded with an open interaction with the press, followed by a vote of thanks and lunch, reinforcing the hospital’s message that a healthier heart begins with awareness, prevention and timely care.
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