Kolkata:

"One should not keep remembering about one's ailments. The moment it is treated, one should keep it behind and carry on," is the only message that Smritikana has, as she recovers from the operation. Born in 1922 in the south Kolkata locality of Ballygunge, the centenarian is a pass-out of the prestigious Kolkata Medical College with a major in Gynecology.

 In a rare medical feat, doctors at a Kolkata hospital have successfully placed a pacemaker implant on a 102-year-old patient. Incidentally, the patient Smritikana Roy, was herself a doctor by profession.

Smritikana has worked as a physician at the Lady Dufferin Hospital close to Sealdah all through her career and says she has literally shown the light of day to more than 3,500 babies. A visibly fit Smritikana did not get bogged down by the COVID-19 outbreak and has been carrying out her daily chores, till recently.

"She had complained of uneasiness and dizziness when she came to us. We decided to conduct a Holter Monitor test on her where we found a six-second pause in her report. Through the Holter Monitor test, which is a non-invasive procedure to record any person's electrical activity of the heart for 24 to 48 hours, we try to detect problems in the heart's rhythm. Though the patient had no co-morbidity or any other symptom, we decided to implant a pacemaker in her to stabilise her heartbeat," said cardiologist Dr Sunilbaran Roy, who attended Smritikana.

Recounting her meeting with Mother Teresa and many other incidents, which she has come across all through these years, Smritikana has no issues with her memory and recalling stories even from her childhood. "I am never afraid. During my tenure as a physician, I have treated many and have come across several challenges. They all made me more mature and practical. My only motto is, don't keep thinking about your ailments," she says.

Accordingly, the centenarian doctor was admitted to the hospital and early this week, the pacemaker was placed in her body. "We have implanted a dual chamber pacemaker in the patient and she is doing fine after the operation," said Dr Roy.

Smritikana Roy has become one of the rare patients in the state to have undergone a successful dual chamber pacemaker implant surgery, who is a centenarian.

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