VARANASI, Sept. 13 -- The department of cardiology at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), BHU, has successfully performed over 100 catheter-based procedures for structural and congenital heart diseases (CHD). The procedures covered patients of all ages, from a 12-day-old newborn to a 72-year-old, underscoring the department's proficiency in treating heart conditions across the lifespan. BHU stated that this achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the department of cardiology- prof Vikas, prof Om Shankar, Dr Dharmendra Jain, Dr Suyash, Dr Umesh, Dr Soumik, Dr Rajpal, and Dr Pratibha-along with vital support from the department of anaesthesiology-prof AP Singh (HOD), Dr Sanjeev, and Dr Pratima. The cardiology team routinely performs a wide range of catheter-based interventions for congenital and structural heart diseases, including ASD and VSD device closures, PDA device closure and stenting, balloon pulmonary and aortic valvotomies, SVC stenting, and other complex structural procedures. These advanced, minimally invasive procedures, performed through a small puncture in a blood vessel, are now considered a safer and easier alternative to open-heart surgery, being less complicated and carrying lower risks of infection and trauma. Prof Vikas, head of the department of cardiology, stated, "These procedures are now performed routinely at our center, with most covered under Ayushman Bharat, the CM Fund, or the PM Fund, making advanced cardiac care accessible even to the poorest patients."...