The 12-year-old girl Nupur returned home yesterday after a successful minimally invasive cardiac surgery at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), the first of its kind at any government hospital. Hailing from Sujanagar upazila in Pabna, Nupur was suffering from Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) — a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of heart.

A team of 10 doctors headed by Dr Ashraful Hoque Sium conducted her operation at the NICVD on August 25. They carried out the surgery of Nupur with full anesthesia which took two and a half hours and the cost of the operation was only Taka 5,000. After the great success, Dr Sium, while expressing his feelings, said, “I am speechless!!!I used to dream to do something a big for the people and I love most to implement that…with the support of the honourable Prime Minister, I’ve been able today to materialise such a dream. I’m very happy and thankful to all.”

In minimally invasive cardiac operation, surgeons perform heart surgery through small incisions in the chest as an alternative to open-heart surgery. Surgeons do not cut through the breastbone, rather they operate between the ribs, which may result in less pain and a quicker recovery for many people.