A 53-year-old Richmond grandfather underwent heart valve replacement and by-pass surgery at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital last week, becoming the first patient to undergo open heart surgery in Fort Bend County.
The patient was released from Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Wednesday after making a routine recovery.
“With this milestone, we?ve taken a very progressive step by offering open heart surgery at Methodist Sugar Land,” said Dr. Mahesh Ramchandani, a cardiovascular surgeon with the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center. “It?s no longer necessary for patients to travel far from home to undergo some lifesaving procedures. We’re proud to offer the services of the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center close to home for our patients.”
Ramchandani and his associate, Dr. Uttam Tripathy, performed the surgery with Dr. Zbigniew Wojciechowski, the anesthesiologist in charge.
“This open heart surgery was made possible because of the teamwork of a group of dedicated and experienced professionals who have worked diligently for 18 months to bring this service to the Fort Bend community,” said Chris Siebenaler, interim CEO of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
Having world-class heart surgery available in the community is a significant benefit for the residents of Fort Bend County, he said.
“Our services will continue to grow, making health care even more convenient and less stressful for our fellow residents who won’t have to leave the county for higher level of care,” Siebenaler said.
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s current expansion project will keep pace with the growth of Fort Bend County. The initial phase of expansion is already complete, with two cardiac catheterization labs?one with surgical capabilities. The next expansion phase is already in progress and will initially increase beds from 54 to 236. The hospital also will expand existing services including labor and delivery, critical care, emergency department, surgery, lab and imaging. The expansion project is expected to be completed in summer 2008.