Prevention is still the best cure

Hyderabad:…when it comes to heart health, believes Dr. P.C Rath, the new president of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI).

Dr. Rath has pioneered specialized cardiac treatments like complex coronary angioplasty and stenting, robotic angioplasty, percutaneous valve treatment procedures, and many more. A renowned cardiologist from Hyderabad who has many firsts to his credit, Dr. Rath was recently elected the president of the prestigious CSI (Cardiological Society of India).

In an exclusive interview with NewsMeter, Dr. Rath, currently the HOD of cardiology at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, speaks about what drove him to pursue medicine, his love for creating medical breakthroughs, personal health mantras, and more. Read on.

Heading the CSI

When asked about his new role as the president of CSI, Dr. Rath replies, "A lot of responsibilities."

He adds, "We are celebrating the platinum jubilee of CSI in 2023. I will be in charge of the scientific program. So yes, expectations are very high."

From history honors to medicine

Few, however, know that this master cardiologist was actually studying to be a history honors student in college. How did the transition happen, we ask him.

"My roommate in college was keen to become a doctor. It was his life ambition. He became a doctor but unfortunately died in a road accident. He motivated me to pursue medicine. I studied one year of history and then appeared for medical entrance exams," he says.

From there, cardiology caught his fancy and the rest is history.

Creating medical records

With over three decades of experience in the field, today Dr. Rath is a specialist in complex, high-risk, and image-guided angioplasties. He was the first to perform TransRadial Coronary Angioplasty and stenting in the Asia Pacific region (reported in the Limca Book of World Records), Venous Graft Intervention using a protection device in India, and Drug Eluting Stent in the Asia Pacific region.

Medical robots are the future

His most recent medical breakthrough, however, is robotic angioplasty. "This helps achieve precise positioning of the stent. Here, 90% of the job is done by the robot, with minimum radiation exposure to the doctor. In half an hour, the procedure is finished. We are the first to bring robotic angioplasty to this part of the country," informs Dr. Rath.

On staying up-to-date

Considering his penchant for introducing new medical techniques, we ask him how he keeps up with the latest developments. "I attend conferences abroad. I am a visiting faculty in universities and part of fellowship programs. Interestingly, when we teach students, we also learn from them. All of these keep us updated," he says.

What is the next big advancement when it comes to heart treatments? "Every heart procedure will be minimalized. Less trauma, less invasive, and less hospitalization will be the key."

Heart talk

And what does Dr. Rath himself do to maintain a healthy heart? "Half hour of morning yoga, a good walk, and no oily, junk food," is his simple answer.

"My advice to everyone is this—Exercise regularly, control your diet, and do regular health checks. Prevention is the best cure." Golden words, indeed!