Dr Kumar, who has performed 40 cardiac operations through Centrifugal Pump Technology, in which requirement of blood transfusion is minimised, said the cost of heart surgeries depended upon the centre at which one was operated.

Addressing reporters here on Saturday, he said bypass surgeries were expensive because most of the equipment used were imported and the country had to pay the price in dollars.

On the centrifugal pump technology, he said it had German patent and as blood transfusion was minimum here, there were little chances of patients acquiring HIV and suffering from jaundice.

He claimed that the operation could also be performed on patients whose hearts were functioning at 25 to 30 per cent of normal efficiency. He explained that the pump which forms part of the heart-lung machine does not crush or damage blood plasma matter such as red or white blood cells, resulting in lower levels of blood-loss.

He said the cost of the operation would be at par with a regular bypass operation because the patient would not be required to stay in the hospital for post-operative care. He said he would perform such operations in Vadodara.