History was created this week when a team of specialists conducted Fiji’s first-ever quadruple graft heart bypass surgery at the Pacific Specialist Healthcare Hospital in Nadi.

And the immensely complex procedure was carried out without a blood transfusion, due to the patient’s religious beliefs.

The six-hour operation, led by cardiology surgeon Dr Sanjeev Khulbey who has thirty-years of experience up his sleeves, was carried out on Monday January 13.

“Since the patient who is now recovering extremely well belongs to the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation, the surgery was done without the use of a single drop of blood transfusion,” Dr Khulbey said.

“Because of this special requirement of the patient, the team worked very cautiously ensuring there’s minimal loss of blood while carrying out the six-hour long surgery.”

Dr Khulbey said of the four grafts, three were performed as Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (CABG) which is a complex open-heart surgery that reroutes blood flow to the heart. It is performed when coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart are blocked.

“The fourth graft required a Coronary Endarterectomy to be performed as one of the arteries was hundred percent blocked with plaque which had to be removed through this delicate procedure before proceeding with the grafting process.”

PSH founder and chief executive officer Parvish Kumar said the hospital was now well-equipped and ready to receive members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation for any medical treatment they may require.

“This successful surgery led by Dr Sanjeev is a testament in itself that PSH respects the religious beliefs of every patient that enters our hospital to get well and we will strive to provide the best in service at all times,” Kumar said.

Kumar said the team of Cardio Thoracic specialists carried out three back-to-back open-heart surgeries each day from Monday January 13 to Wednesday January 15 with a 100% success rate while there were many patients currently at review stage before proceeding with the option of carrying out surgical treatment procedures.

“Each procedure has been unique and challenging in its own right and our team managed the entire operations very professionally and to the best world standards in our newly developed state-of-the-art cardiology unit.

“There’s more exciting news coming for 2025 with the first one being that we now have a highly trained Consultant Interventional Cardiologist based fulltime in our Nadi hospital here in Legalega,”
Kumar said the hospital has secured the services of Dr Srikar Miryala, someone regarded very highly in his field.
“He will now be based in-house and be available during emergency calls also. We have accommodated Dr Srikar near the hospital vicinity so that he will be able to attend to any emergency situations that come to us.

“PSH Nadi now operates 24/7 and patients are welcome to visit us any time of the day or night on any day of the week.”