An interview with the man who transformed heart care in Manipur
By A Staff Reporter
IMPHAL | Oct 28
Included in world famous American based Marques Who’s Who Millennium Edition as one of the World’s eminent doctors, Dr. Shyamkishore Lairikyengbam, the only Heart Specialist of Manipur with F.R.C.P (London) and British Clinical Excellence Award Winner came back from a successful practice at London to start a full-fledged heart hospital in Manipur. Imphal Free Press (IFP) asked the doctor what made him come back? “I felt as if I was being constantly called by my motherland to serve my own people” he replied musingly.
The following is a brief interview with Dr. Shyamkishore.
IFP: Heart Attack is said to be the number one killer in the world. What are common symptoms?
Dr.: There are many symptoms. Common ones are sudden onset chest pain, breathlessness, pain in upper abdomen, nausea or vomiting, sudden onset sweating, rapid heart beat, feeling faint or collapse, heaviness of chest or sudden onset pain in left arm.
IFP: Please explain how Heart Attack can cause pain in left arm?
Dr.: The nerves that supply the heart and the left arm are from the same spinal segment. Hence pain due to heart attack may be radiated to left arm.
IFP: What is the main cause of heart attack and who are at risk?
Dr.: There are four major risk factors. These are smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension (high BP) and high cholesterol level of the body. Men are more prone to heart attack than women but after menopause women have similar risk as men. Other factors namely lack of exercise, eating fatty food, obesity may contribute to heart attack. I have come across a 21 years old man who suffered a heart attack. He was a chain smoker from a very young age. So heart attack can affect any age group due to personal habit, life style and presence of risk factors.
IFP: You pointed out that food habit may play a role in causing heart attack but what about food that the people here eat?
Dr.: Basically Manipur’s traditional diet can be termed as “super food”. We eat lots of vegetables, either raw or boiled, few examples Singju, various leafy vegetables, champhut, and kangsoi. These are very good for health. Moreover, eromba with banana stem, bamboo shoots, leafy vegetables are good for bowel motion, and also will help reduce overall fat intake. I encourage “Singju Festival”. It is a good initiative to promote a healthy diet. Cutting down on consumption of oil, salt, sugar, red meat may help in preventing Heart Attack. In our local feasts / community lunch, we have a culinary tradition of using too much oil and salt (probably to make the preparations more tasty), these may be regulated, if possible.
IFP: What about alcohol and Heart Attack? We have many alcohol manufacturing communities and consumers too?
Dr.: First of all, there is no need of alcohol to keep you healthy. So, it’s better to avoid it. Nevertheless alcohol is permitted in moderation in many western countries. Maximum alcohol allowance for a healthy man is 21 units per week. 14 units for woman. One unit is taken as equivalent to 28 ml of whiskey. Excessive use of alcohol can cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Binge drinking is particularly harmful. Alcohol can affect other vital organs, to mention a few, liver (cirrhosis liver), brain (encephalopathy). I have treated a few young patients in their 25 – 35 years of age, with alcohol related heart failure.
IFP: We use medication to control high BP (hypertension). Can medication be stopped if one’s conditions improve? How do we improve heart functioning?
Dr.: There are now a number of drugs available in the market which can help improve the condition of the heart while controlling hypertension. Stopping medication suddenly without doctor’s advice is harmful. Such practice may cause “rebound” hypertension (sudden shoot up of BP) causing heart attack or stroke. However, upto 25% of people on medication for high BP may come off drugs gradually under doctors supervision. This may be possible with reduction of salt intake, reduction of weight, regular exercise, stopping/moderation of alcohol intake etc.
IFP: You had a successful career in London. What made you come back to Manipur?
Dr.: I had many debates on this topic with my family members while in London. (Smiling). I have discussed my stance to come back to my home state with my better half, L. Surbala Devi, of the pros and cons. She has been my main support. She too decided to give up her comfortable and luxurious life of London to risk a new venture here with me. While in London, always I felt as if I was required in Manipur, I felt a “calling” from my motherland. So, I came back to Manipur after practicing for more than 15 long years in the U.K. with a mission to start a Full-fledged heart hospital in Manipur. With the support from family and friends I started Manipur’s First Full –Fledged Heart Hospital called SKY Hospital.
IFP: So, how do you feel about your decision? Do you have any regret or are you happy with it?
Dr.: Personally, I am immensely happy and satisfied mainly because I gave Manipur and people of Manipur the first Open Heart Surgery in the state on 18th November, 2015 and other complex cardiac procedures as listed below.
First I.C.D. implant operation (12th February, 2015).
First Non-operative (Device) closure of holes in the heart (4th July, 2015).
First RF Ablation for cardiac arrhythmia (palpitation)(11th July, 2015).
First complex coronary interventional procedures namely Primary PCI
(1st August, 2015).
First Mitral Valve Balloon Dilatation (blocked heart valve)(22nd August 2015).
First CTO Coronary Angioplasty (27th October, 2015).
First Double Kissing Crush Stenting (DKCS) Coronary Angioplasty (22nd December, 2015).
First Abdominal Aorta Senting (18th March, 2017).
First Left Main Stem Coronary Angioplasty (6th July, 2017).
First RSOV Device closure (10th September, 2017).
Presently, SKY is providing world class sophisticated diagnostic cardiac procedures, complex interventional cardiac procedures namely, coronary angioplasty (PCI) and stent, any peripheral vascular stenting, renal angioplasty, ICD/Pacemaker/Bi-ventricular pacing, device closure of various holes in the heart, RF Ablation treatment for cardiac arrhythmia (palpitation) and various open heart and lung surgery and last but not the least Coronary Artery By-pass Graft (CABG) surgery.
Until recently, heart patients of Manipur had to go outside Manipur for treatment. Now they need not go to other states, thereby their suffering to travel to distant places, from adverse climate, extra expenditure for additional patient’s attendants will be lessened. Further, going for check-up to such distant places is another hardship to patient and patient’s party. I feel that I have been able to lessen the burden to the patients of the state and at the same time provide the treatment and procedure at par with other interventional medical centres.
IFP: Any message you wish to give to our readers?
Dr.: Life is precious. Life stops when heart stops. Let’s live with a healthy heart by avoiding smoking, alcohol or at least controlling alcohol use as per physiological allowance, keeping diabetes, BP, cholesterol levels under control, avoiding fatty foods, red meat, regular exercise etc. In case you think you suffer from a heart attack, go to the nearest doctor or clinic for first aid and then to a heart hospital as soon as possible for accurate and appropriate treatment which will help increase your chance of survival.
