Rajsamand: In a significant step toward expanding advanced cardiac care in southern Rajasthan, Ananta Hospital successfully treated six patients suffering from congenital heart defects through catheter-based device closure, avoiding the need for open-heart surgery. The procedures were carried out during a dedicated CHD Intervention Workshop organized at the hospital. The patients included three cases of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a condition involving an abnormal opening between two major blood vessels, and three cases of Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), a hole between the upper chambers of the heart. Hospital Executive Director Dr. Nitin Sharma said the continuous expansion of interventional and structural heart services at Ananta Hospital is enabling patients from Nathdwara, Rajsamand, Udaipur and surrounding areas to access advanced cardiac treatment closer to home, reducing dependence on distant metropolitan hospitals. He added that all six procedures were performed free of cost under the Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya Yojana, as the hospital is empanelled under major state and central government health schemes. Cardiologist Dr. Yogendra Singh Ranawat explained that ASD and PDA are congenital heart conditions that can now be treated in selected patients through minimally invasive catheter-based techniques. In this procedure, a catheter is inserted through a blood vessel in the leg and guided to the heart, where a specially sized closure device is deployed to seal the defect. Compared with open-heart surgery, the technique requires no large incision, involves a shorter hospital stay, and generally allows faster recovery. Hospital officials said the workshop was made successful through the coordinated efforts of the cardiac team, cath lab specialists, nursing staff and the anaesthesia department, marking another milestone in making modern heart care more accessible in the region.