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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to acknowledge the work of Dr. Raja R.
4Gopaldas, a cardiothoracic surgeon living in Springfield; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Gopaldas, the son of Dr. Muthusamy Chinnapapu
6and Dr. Singaravelu Gopaldas of Salem, India, completed his
7training in heart surgery in Texas under the mentorship of
8renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Denton A. Cooley, and gained his
9experience in complex aortic and aneurysm surgery under Dr.
10Joseph S. Coselli; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Before arriving in Springfield, Dr. Gopaldas
12performed outstanding work as a heart surgeon in Texas and then
13at the University of Missouri, where he was also the Director
14of Cardiothoracic Research; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Dr. Gopaldas practices with Prairie
16Cardiovascular Consultants, one of the largest cardiovascular
17practice groups in Illinois, where some of his interests
18include aortic aneurysms, minimally invasive surgery,
19congenital heart disease, esophageal surgery, esophageal
20cancer, atrial fibrillation, heart disease in women, and heart
21transplants; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Dr. Gopaldas recently reached a milestone having
2successfully completed 100 minimally invasive cardiac
3surgeries since beginning to perform the procedure in
4Springfield in July of 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The new minimally invasive cardiac surgery method
6is performed through one small incision, typically about two to
7three inches in length, compared to the eight inch incision in
8the chest, which is needed for the traditional "open surgery"
9technique; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Minimally invasive cardiac surgery to replace
11heart valves, repair arteries or holes in the heart, or to
12treat atrial fibrillation provides patients with faster
13recovery and less pain; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Patients receiving minimally invasive cardiac
15surgery become active much faster because the breastbone is not
16split and they avoid the complications of inactivity after
17traditional surgery; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The minimally invasive approach leaves the
19sternum preserved in the event a patient needs another type of
20heart surgery in the future; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The only practice in Illinois, aside from one

 

 

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1hospital in Chicago, offering minimally invasive heart
2procedures is located in Springfield, and some patients travel
3200 miles or more for this important, life-saving procedure;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Gopaldas strives to deliver the best and most
6compassionate care to his patients and his work in
7minimally-invasive cardiac surgery is a major contribution to
8the health and welfare of people in the Midwest; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Dr. Gopaldas has won numerous awards and accolades
10in the field of surgery, research, innovation, and education;
11therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
14congratulate Dr. Raja R. Gopaldas on his outstanding
15accomplishments and encourage him to continue his research and
16innovative work in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, lung,
17vascular, and cancer surgery, especially minimally invasive
18surgery; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to Dr. Gopaldas as an expression of our esteem and
21respect.