In a major achievement, the doctors of the Ernakulam District General Hospital successfully replaced the heart valve of a patient without conducting an open heart surgery.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a complicated procedure earlier conducted in institutions like Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science, was used to replace the blocked valves of a 69-year-old patient from Perumbavoor.
National Health Mission Ernakulam Project Director Dr Sanjith John said it is the first time a district-level public hospital in the country performs such a medical procedure.
To replace the valve, the surgeon inserted a catheter into the blood veins after making a brief cut on the leg to guide it to the heart.
The hospital superintendent in charge, Dr Asha K John, said that the procedure was conducted with the coordinated effort of the Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Cardiac Anaesthesia departments.
The patient will be discharged from the hospital in two days.
Discussion about this post