Announcement
On July 9, 2026, Apollo Hospitals Guwahati announced that it had successfully performed the first‑ever Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Closure procedure in Northeast India. The press release, issued via PRNewswire, highlighted the significance of bringing this advanced, minimally invasive cardiac treatment to the region.
Procedure Details
LAA Closure is a catheter‑based, one‑time intervention that permanently seals the left atrial appendage, a small pouch where blood clots can form in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). By sealing the pouch, the procedure eliminates the pathway for clots to travel to the brain, thereby reducing stroke risk without the need for lifelong anticoagulant therapy. The technique is performed through a small catheter, avoiding open‑heart surgery and the associated recovery time.
Patient Case
The historic procedure was performed on a 66‑year‑old male patient who had previously suffered a brain haemorrhage, an event the doctors attributed to the long‑term blood‑thinning medicines he was taking for AF. Because further blood‑thinner use was deemed unsafe, the medical team recommended LAA Closure as the optimal treatment. The operation was led by Dr. Rituparna Baruah, Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiology at Apollo Hospitals Guwahati, with assistance from Dr. Dibya Jyoti Dutta, Dr. Chandra Kumar Das, and Dr. Chandra Prakash Thakur. The procedure was completed without major surgery, was declared a complete success, and the patient is now recovering under the care of the cardiac team.
Significance
Dr. Rituparna Baruah stated that performing the first LAA Closure in Northeast India is a “significant milestone” for both Apollo Hospitals Guwahati and regional cardiac care. Previously, patients requiring this specialised procedure had to travel to metropolitan centres such as Delhi, Mumbai, or Chennai. The availability of world‑class cardiac care locally means families in the Northeast no longer need to incur the time, cost, and logistical challenges of inter‑city travel for life‑saving treatment.
About Apollo Hospitals
Apollo Hospitals was founded by Dr. Prathap Reddy in 1983 with the opening of its first hospital in Chennai. It has grown into the world’s largest integrated healthcare platform, operating over 76 hospitals with more than 10,400 beds, 6,600+ pharmacies, 264 clinics, 2,182 diagnostic centres, and 800+ telemedicine centres. The group is a leading cardiac centre, having performed over 300,000 angioplasties and 200,000 surgeries to date. Apollo employs approximately 120,000 family members dedicated to delivering exceptional care.