Apollo CVHF's CVTS team performs the complete range of heart surgery — bypass, valve repair and replacement, congenital heart surgery, and vascular procedures — from conventional open surgery to the most advanced minimally invasive and robotic techniques available in Ahmedabad. Patients and referring doctors often use "MICS" and "robotic surgery" interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing.
- MICS (Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery) is performed by the surgeon's hands through a small incision, without a full sternotomy. Used for both bypass and selected valve surgery.
- Robotic-Assisted Surgery uses the Da Vinci Xi system, with the surgeon operating through a console for greater precision. Used for selected valve and structural procedures.
- Robotic-Assisted MICS combines both — robotic precision delivered through a minimally invasive approach.
All three, alongside conventional open surgery, are performed at Apollo CVHF — across bypass, valve, and structural heart procedures. The comparison below will help you understand which approach may be right for your condition.
MICS vs Robotic vs Robotic-Assisted MICS vs Open Surgery
| Conventional Open Surgery | MICS | Robotic-Assisted Surgery | Robotic-Assisted MICS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incision | Full sternotomy | Small side incision, no full sternotomy | Small ports, console-guided | Smallest incision, robotic precision |
| Hospital stay | 7–10 days | 5–6 days | 4–5 days | 3–4 days |
| Pain & comfort | Longest recovery discomfort | Reduced pain vs. open surgery | Less post-operative pain, greater precision | Least post-operative pain, most precise dissection |
| Who performs it | CVTS surgical team | Dr. Adalti and team, Dr. Gohil and team | Dr. Adalti and team (Da Vinci-credentialed) | Dr. Adalti and team (Da Vinci-credentialed + MICS-trained) |
| Best suited for | Complex multi-vessel disease, redo, emergency surgery, valve surgery requiring full access | Bypass and selected valve surgery, single/double-vessel disease | Selected valve & structural cases | Highly selected bypass and valve cases in suitable candidates |
| Available at Apollo CVHF | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which Type of Heart Surgery Is Right for Me?
The choice between conventional open surgery, MICS, robotic-assisted surgery, and Robotic-Assisted MICS depends on the patient's condition, anatomy, previous operations, the procedure required, and overall surgical risk. A minimally invasive or robotic approach is not automatically better for every patient. Apollo CVHF's CVTS team evaluates each case individually and recommends the approach that offers the safest and most appropriate result — not simply the newest technology available.
When Conventional Surgery Is the Better Option
Robotic or minimally invasive surgery is not suitable for every patient. Complex or multi-vessel coronary disease, emergency surgery, certain redo operations, extensive aortic disease, and other clinical circumstances may make conventional open surgery the safer and more appropriate approach. Apollo CVHF's CVTS team performs the full range of cardiac surgery and will recommend conventional surgery whenever it is genuinely the better option for a patient's condition.
Advanced & Complex CVTS Procedures
Beyond bypass, valve, and congenital surgery, Apollo CVHF's CVTS team performs a wider range of advanced cardiac and aortic procedures for patients with more complex conditions:
- Bentall Procedure — composite replacement of the aortic valve, aortic root, and ascending aorta, with re-implantation of the coronary arteries
- Aortic Surgery — repair of aneurysms and dissections across the ascending aorta, aortic arch, and descending aorta
- Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction (SVR) — reshaping the heart after a left ventricular aneurysm following a heart attack
- MAZE Procedure — surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation, creating new electrical pathways in the heart
- Septal Myectomy — surgical treatment for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
- On-Pump and Off-Pump (Beating-Heart) CABG — bypass performed with or without the heart-lung machine, depending on the patient's condition
- Total Arterial Revascularization — bypass grafting using arterial conduits (LIMA, RIMA, radial artery) instead of vein grafts, for more durable long-term results in suitable patients
- Redo Cardiac Surgery — repeat heart surgery for patients who have had a previous cardiac operation
- Combined Carotid and Bypass Procedures — for patients with coexisting carotid artery disease
- EVAR (Endovascular Aneurysm Repair) — minimally invasive stent-graft placement for abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Coarctation of the Aorta Repair — surgical correction of this congenital narrowing of the aorta
- Cardiac Myxoma Removal — surgical removal of this rare, non-cancerous heart tumour
- Coronary Endarterectomy — removal of plaque from inside the coronary arteries when blockages are too extensive for bypass alone
- ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) — advanced life support for critically ill cardiac and respiratory patients, performed regularly by Dr. Sudhir Adalti and Dr. Ishan Gohil and team
These procedures are performed on a case-by-case basis for patients whose condition requires them — our team will advise honestly on whether an advanced surgical approach is necessary.
Vascular, Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery
Apollo CVHF's CVTS team's expertise extends beyond the heart itself to the blood vessels and chest cavity, covering vascular, endovascular, and thoracic conditions:
- Aortic and Mitral Valve Repair — surgical repair of the heart's two most commonly affected valves, preserving the patient's own valve tissue where possible instead of replacement
- Endovascular Treatment for Varicose Veins — including Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA), Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), Sclerotherapy, and Ambulatory Phlebectomy
- DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) Management — Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis, Mechanical Thrombectomy, and IVC Filter Placement are performed by the cardiology/interventional team; Surgical Embolectomy is performed by the CVTS surgical team when a surgical approach is required
- Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Surgery — including Peripheral Angioplasty & Stenting, Peripheral Bypass Surgery, Peripheral Endarterectomy, and Atherectomy
- Thoracic Surgery & VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery) — including Lung Resection/Lobectomy, Pleural Effusion Drainage & Pleurodesis, Mediastinal Tumour Resection, and Lung Biopsy
Why Apollo CVHF for Cardiac Surgery
Apollo CVHF's CVTS team performs 400+ cardiac surgeries every year, including 100–120+ using MICS or robotic-assisted techniques — supported by the Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system, GE Innova cath labs, GE Vivid E95 and Vivid iQ echocardiography systems across 5+ dedicated echo machines, a dedicated cardiac ICU, and NABH accreditation. The team's two lead surgeons alone bring more than 55 years of combined cardiac surgery experience — Dr. Apoorva Kanhere (30+ years) and Dr. Sudhir Adalti (25+ years, 7,500+ career surgeries). Apollo CVHF is an associate centre of the Apollo Hospitals Group, with twin catheterisation laboratories available 24 hours a day and a hospital built exclusively for cardiac and vascular patients — treating patients from across Gujarat and across India.
A Heart Team, Not Two Departments
At many hospitals, a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon work independently — a patient sees one, receives a recommendation, then separately sees the other, with no shared discussion between them. Apollo CVHF operates as a genuine heart team: cardiology, led by Dr. Sameer Dani and team — including Dr. Arvind Singh, Dr. Mahpaekar Masshadi, Dr. Rashmit Pandya, and Dr. Kulin Sheth — and cardiac surgery, led by Dr. Apoorva Kanhere and Dr. Sudhir Adalti — together with Dr. Ishan Gohil and Dr. Hinal Patel — review complex cases together before recommending a treatment path — so patients get one coordinated recommendation, not two separate opinions to reconcile themselves. This is especially relevant for valve disease, where a patient's options may include a catheter-based approach such as TAVI, performed by the interventional cardiology team, or a surgical approach performed by the CVTS surgical team — decided jointly, based on what is genuinely best for that patient.
Meet the CVTS Team
Every surgeon on Apollo CVHF's Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery team is trained across the full range of cardiac surgery. Dr. Apoorva Kanhere brings FRCS (Glasgow) credentials and over three decades of experience in conventional open heart surgery — including valve surgery, congenital heart disease, and other CVTS procedures such as pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for CTEPH, a procedure performed by very few surgeons in Gujarat. Dr. Sudhir Adalti and Dr. Ishan Gohil bring additional MICS training, with Dr. Adalti also the team's Da Vinci-credentialed robotic surgeon.
Dr. Apoorva Kanhere — Open Heart, Valve & Congenital Surgery
Dr. Apoorva Kanhere is one of the most credentialled cardiac surgeons in Gujarat, with a career spanning over three decades. He holds an MCh in Cardiothoracic Surgery from Christian Medical College, Vellore (University Gold Medal), and an FRCS from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, with subspecialty fellowships at Royal Perth Hospital (Australia), Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital (UK), and King's College Hospital, London. At Apollo CVHF, Dr. Kanhere brings this experience to conventional open heart surgery, valve repair and replacement, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) — a procedure performed by very few surgeons in the state.
Dr. Sudhir Adalti — MICS & Robotic-Assisted Cardiac Surgery
Dr. Sudhir Adalti is a Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon at Apollo CVHF, with over 25 years in practice and 7,500+ cardiac surgeries performed over his career. He holds an MCh in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery from the University of Mumbai, with international fellowships in advanced cardiac surgery from Auckland (New Zealand) and Brisbane (Australia). He performs the full range of cardiac surgical procedures at Apollo CVHF, is the team's Da Vinci Xi-credentialed robotic surgeon, and regularly performs ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) for patients requiring advanced cardiac and respiratory life support.
Dr. Ishan Gohil — Cardiothoracic, Vascular & Robotic Cardiac Surgeon
Dr. Ishan Gohil is a Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon at Apollo CVHF with an MCh in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery from B.J. Medical College / U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre — one of India's highest-volume dedicated cardiac institutes — where he also served as Assistant Professor. With over 8 years of experience in cardiothoracic and vascular-endovascular surgery, Dr. Gohil's practice spans open and MICS cardiac surgery, aortic surgery, and other endovascular procedures. He is a core member of Apollo CVHF's Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program, working alongside Dr. Adalti on robotic and robotic-assisted MICS cases, and is additionally an expert in ECMO management and other life-support systems for critically ill cardiac patients.
Dr. Hinal S. Patel — Chief Cardiac Anesthesiologist
Dr. Hinal S. Patel is Apollo CVHF's Chief Cardiac Anesthesiologist, with over 25 years of experience managing cardiac patients across every stage and type of illness — surgical, pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative, and critical cardiac care. His presence on every case is central to patient safety at Apollo CVHF — safe anesthesia and perioperative management underpin every MICS, robotic, and open surgical procedure performed by the CVTS team.
Dr. Maulik Chhaya — Surgical Associate
Dr. Maulik Chhaya is a Surgical Associate on Apollo CVHF's Cardiac Surgery team, with over 20 years of experience caring for surgical patients before and after their procedures.
Conditions & Procedures We Treat
- Robotic Cardiac Surgery (Da Vinci Xi)
- Robotic-Assisted MICS
- MICS Bypass — Minimally Invasive Bypass Surgery
- Open Heart Bypass Surgery
- Surgical Heart Valve Repair
- Surgical Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease
- Advanced & Complex Procedures — Bentall, aortic surgery, SVR, MAZE, septal myectomy, ECMO
- Vascular, Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery — valve repair, varicose veins, DVT, PAD, thoracic surgery & VATS
