Chennai Cardiologist Perform Complex PCI Procedure On 65-year-old Patient During Worldwide Live Aid Event 

Chennai, June 10^th, 2022: Dr. Arun Kalyanasundaram an eminent Interventional cardiologist and Director of Promed Hospital, Chennai, specializing in complex Coronary Interventions and Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) is the only Indian doctor who performed a complex PCI procedure on a 65-year-old patient at CTO Live Aid 2022 held on June 9^th, 2022, that was transmitted live to interventional cardiologists globally. The procedure was performed on a patient from Bangalore who had bypass surgery with a single remaining graft who had disabling angina. The procedure was performed during 15 hrs marathon of complex angioplasties and CTO cases from around the world. 

The patient’s native left anterior descending artery is a chronic total occlusion (CTO) for at least 15 years and the vein graft supplying the vessel has been intervened twice over the course and was degenerating at this point. All his other grafts had already failed.                                            Dr. Arun Kalyanasundaram successfully performed a complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure and cleared the 100% blockage in 2 hours using advanced CTO techniques including Antegrade dissection reentry at Promed hospital. This was done as a part of the CTO Live Aid program with the goal of educating interventional cardiologists globally and raising money for charity. 

Speaking about the CTO Live Aid program, Dr. Arun Kalyanasundaram, Director & Chief Cardiologist, Promed Hospital said, “It is an absolute honor to be part of the Global CTO live Aid program for 3 consecutive years and share the knowledge among the international cardiology community on CTO and Complex PCI procedures. Only an elite flew globally have been part of this endeavour, and I feel privileged that I have been representing India for the last 3 years.”

The Third Edition of CTO Live Aid is designed to fundraise for the International Red Cross while providing invaluable training to cardiologists around the world. 26 expert Interventional cardiologists 12 CTO live cases from 12 international centers and 14 Complex PCI live cases from 14 international centers. The Live Aid event is viewed online only by healthcare professionals. This year, the fund raised at the CTO Live Aid program will be donated to provide support to the people of Ukraine