Angioplasty for Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit underwent angioplasty for a blocked artery on Tuesday morning. Dr Ashok Seth, her cardiologist and chairman, cardiac services at Fortis Escorts Heart and Research Institute, performed the procedure.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit underwent angioplasty for a blocked artery on Tuesday morning. Dr Ashok Seth, her cardiologist and chairman, cardiac services at Fortis Escorts Heart and Research Institute, performed the procedure.

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Angioplasty is the process of propping open a blocked artery in the heart using a metallic mesh tube called a stent.

“She had breathlessness for the past three-four days. A CT scan suggested she had a blockage. An angiogram showed a 90% block in the right coronary artery and a stent was put in without wasting any time,” Dr Seth said.

The procedure was performed at 8am on Tuesday. Dikshit’s immediate family — her son, daughter, daughter-in-law and sister — were present during the procedure. “We deliberately asked all her official staff to stay away, since that would have added stress,” he said.

She was shifted from the critical care unit to the regular hospital room within a couple of hours.

According to the doctors attending to her, she has been recovering well and should be discharged by Thursday.

“Though she is talking, we have advised that all officials and politicians be kept away. But, knowing her, by tomorrow she will get back to her official duties from the hospital itself,” said Dr Seth, who has been her personal physician for more than a decade.

The CM has a history of heart ailments. In 2006, she had undergone a procedure called stenting.

In 2001, Dikshit underwent an open heart surgery after a blockage was detected in her arteries during a routine health check-up.

The bypass surgery — conducted by a team headed by cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan, now the CEO of Medanta — the Medicity, Gurgaon, and cardiologist Dr Seth — took five hours.