DOHA HIGH-RISK heart patients who cannot have the traditional open heart surgery because of poor health and other complications now have an alternative treatment at the Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Heart Hospital, which has introduced in Qatar the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation System (TAVI).
This minimally invasive heart valve surgery was first performed on two patients: a 75-year-old Qatari woman and a 61-year-old Pakistani male in October, Heart Hospital officials have said.
The surgery was successfully carried out by a handpicked team of surgeons including TAVI specialists from the Heart Hospital which was led by Dr Abdulrahman al Nabti, senior consultant and head of the valve transplantation programme, and a cardiac specialist team led by Dr Abdulaziz Alkhulaifi, chairman of cardiothoracic surgery.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, al Nabti said the two patients are now recovering well after the procedure and will be able to return to normal life soon. Prior to their operations, both of the patients suffered from severe aortic valve stenosis, a disorder of the heart valves in which the opening of the aortic valve gets narrow. This condition involves symptoms such as short breath, syncope, chest pain, and may also lead to sudden death if left untreated.
He also said, “Patients who undergo the procedure must pass a rigorous screening then preparation to ensure they are ready for the operation. We also make sure the patient is mentally prepared to undergo the procedure. The pre-surgery tests can take up to one month to perform. And the surgery takes about three hours. After two to three days, the patient is discharged from the hospital. So far, between eight and 10 new patients have already been screened and are now ready for this procedure.” According to Nabti, who travelled to Canada to be trained in the procedure, TAVI has a 99 percent success rate. With the new technique, an artificial aortic heart valve attached to a wire frame is guided by catheter to the heart. Once in the proper position in the heart, the wire frame expands, allowing the new aortic valve to open and begin to pump blood.
Nabti said that a single valve costs around QR140, 000. But the procedure is provided free to Qataris and at a much lower cost for expatriates with the help of government subsidy.
Alkhulaifi also said, “This procedure represents a tremendous advancement in surgical and cardiology care and an alternative to the open-heart surgery which is quite extensive and a traumatic experience. This technique has been devised primarily for patients whose ability to withstand the trauma of openheart surgery is fairly limited because of health complications such as multi-organ failures.
With this technology, we have managed to bridge the gap. Aside from easing the trauma, this minimally invasive technique also cuts the long post-operative stay in the hospital while giving the patients a new chance of life.” Dr Lionel Jarvis, a senior official at the Heart Hospital said, “TAVI is a well-established and safe procedure practiced internationally.
Manufacturers of the valve also work with teams from the Heart Hospital to ensure they are up to date with advances in the procedure. Globally, more than 50,000 of these procedures have already been performed.”
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