A better self for a better society

They were at Dr Barnard’s residence and the ambience was balmy and soothing. Between sips of good South African wine, they discussed various topics far into the night, including how they first met in 1971 when Dr Cherian was a Resident at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital during Dr Barnard’s visit as a Guest Lecturer for the hospital’s Annual Day celebrations. During the discussions, one thing clearly emerged - Dr Cherian’s keen curiosity and unwavering thirst to LEARN the LATEST in the field of heart surgery. In order to upgrade his skills even further, Dr Barnard suggested that Dr Cherian learn and try to perform a cutting edge procedure called TMR (TransMyocardial laser Revascularization). He also suggested that Dr Cherian talk to his friend Dr Denton Cooley who was also to try out TMR. 

In 1994, when Dr Cherian visited Tel Aviv, Israel, he met Dr Denton Cooley and immediately enquired about his experience with TMR. Like his friend, Dr Denton Cooley also recommended that Dr Cherian should explore the benefits of this new technology. 

The principle of TMR was described by Prof. PK Sen of Bombay where he called the operation as the conversion of a ‘Mammalian Heart’ into an ‘Amphibian Heart’ by employing acupuncture. The same principle was applied by Prof. Mir Ho Seni, of Iran. 

TMR was made by a company known as PLC. PLC bought the patents to produce these machines. It had a Sales Representative settled in the United States. He was a Pakistani, who happened to be the 1st cousin of former cricketer Imran Khan. 

Dr Cherian recalled “We bought the first TMR machine in the whole of Australia / Asia to bring to our country. We introduced TMR in the country and we probably did the maximum number of cases in the world at a time when no other alternative procedure was available. 

The TATA Group gave national publicity for this procedure initiated by Mr RK Krishna Kumar who was the VP of TATAs then. Patients who were brought in as in-operable with total blockage in their right arteries and critical left main problems are now living in good health. Col. Venugopal was the first patient to undergo TMR We have since done combinations of TMR and Bypass Surgery and Endarterectomy.” 

Later, the high penetrating power and voltage changes that occurred in the heart muscle were considered to be dangerous consequences of TMR and hence it became obsolete. Today, new technologies that use YAG Lasers instead of CO2 are being used (giving rise to the application of TMR again). 

What started as a casual conversation between two persons born out of their respective interest and knowledge, benefited numerous end-stage cardiac patients. When Dr Christiaan Barnard, the world’s 1st heart transplant surgeon and his friend Dr Cherian, discussed general developments and of challenging the status quo in patient care, the idea for using a most effective technology emerged which helped nearly 1,000 patients. When seeking to better oneself, it is ultimately society at large which gains the larger benefit.