Heart Matters: God decides, we just witness it happen - Part 1

Chennai

Brother Dinakaran who also suffered from severe Diabetes and had undergone a kidney transplant in the US, developed a severe angina. In 1987 Angioplasty and stenting were not common procedures. When Dr. Cherian’s team examined Brother Dinakaran, they found that he needed a bypass surgery. Dr. Cherian advised Brother Dinakaran to opt for surgery in the US where advanced technology was available as he suffered multiple complications. Amidst rumours that Dr. Cherian was attempting the sugery in Chennai and threatening calls to Dr. Cherian to drop the attempt, surgery was fixed at a top hospital in Houston.  

But fate had other plans; Brother Dinakaran developed acute chest pain at the Chennai airport on his departure to Houston and was rushed to the hospital. Dr. Cherian recalls, “I could see he was dying and emergency bypass surgery was needed.” The surgery began at around 10.00 p.m. and on completion of the three grafts, attempts to take him off the heart lung machine failed. Dr. Cherian performed four more grafts to clear the heart, but still the heart could not be taken off the support machine. After much consideration, he was put on Intra Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) support, a novelty then.  

At 5.00 am, a physically and mentally exhausted Dr. Cherian took a break. With the patient on the heart lung machine with IABP support he left to check on other patients in the ICU. On his rounds, he saw the Treasurer of Madras Medical Mission the late Mr. C.O. Varghese who was recovering from a surgery, smile at him. But the surgeon realised that his eyes had rolled up, he had stopped breathing and the ECG showed no life. Dr. Cherian immediately alerted Dr. Kalyan Singh, the Chief of Anesthesia that this patient had arrested. Resistive measures were initiated immediately and his chest was opened up in the ICU itself. A tear in the graft which was leaking blood was repaired and the treasurer was miraculously saved.

By then it was 6:00 am. Dr. Cherian’s team returned to Brother Dinakaran and noted that the cardiac parameters were still not conducive for the independent functioning of the heart. They had almost given up hope and decided to disconnect the heart lung machine. Suddenly, the second miracle of the morning occurred. Brother Dinakaran’s heart started beating and took over circulation.

An amazing moment! The Lord had given a Christmas & New Year gift to Dr. Cherian and his team.

Dr. Cherian recollects, “Human intelligence is only up to a certain extent. When I look back on that day, I wonder how God had planned to save two people who were on the brink of death. I had to operate on a man on his ICU bed, and another who was close to God, came back to life after seven bypasses and IABP support.”

How, why and in what form events unfold is beyond human comprehension. Wherever it may be in this world, what He wills, will be done. He decides and sets the course. We are mere tools or witnesses.

The writer is Director of X Factor Group of companies