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New technology can half the number of bypass surgeries

Method has success rate of more than 80%

KOCHI: With the latest interventional technologies to treat chronic total occlusion (CTO), a complete blockage in a coronary artery, the rate of bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft surgery) has been witnessing a downward trend in the state.

According to interventional cardiologists, new technologies could bring down the rate of bypass surgery by nearly 50 per cent. As even a 100 per cent blocked artery can be opened using the latest interventional methods, many patients opt for the angioplasty procedure.

The annual conference of the Interventional Cardiology Council of Kerala (ICCK) held here on Saturday and Sunday discussed the CTO intervention in detail with presentation of case studies.

“There are separate guidelines and technology for CTO intervention. The method, with a success rate of more than 80 per cent, is getting wider acceptance to avoid bypass surgery. However, when compared to normal angioplasty, the procedure requires more time and dedication. While normal angioplasty can be finished in one hour, it takes nearly four hours to open a completely blocked artery. Still, the procedure is a successful viable opti-on for pat-ients with a completely blocked artery,” said Dr Vinod Thomas, organising secretary of ICCK annual conference.

However, the procedure is not suitable for all and each pat-ient has to be evaluated to see what treatment option is best, based on the type of cardiovascular disease, the location of disease, patient’s age and co-existing medical conditions.

Compared to normal angioplasty, the cost for chronic total occlusion intervention is high with a price difference of RS 5000 to Rs 10,000.

The ICCK conference also debated emergency life saving angioplasty being done immediately after a heart attack.

During the conference the annual cardiology data – 2014 of the state was presented which contains details of statistics of different heart procedures, its evolution and results.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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