Hyderabad: Clinical approval was granted to Konar MF used to close holes in the heart. The device, made of nickel and titanium, would have retention screws from both sides. Chief paediatric cardiologist Dr K. Nageshwar Rao explained, “The advantage of the device is that it can be adjusted according to the size of the hole in the heart. It can also be used as a clamping force to reduce the heart blocks.”
Ten out of 1,000 children were born in the country with congenital heart disease. The holes, called septal defects, could cause heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and other complications. Ventricular septal defects were common and sometimes found to undergo spontaneous closure. Present methods used were surgical and tanscatheter closure, opted in the early stages of life. In some cases heart blocks were reported and hence the procedures were rectified. The device was the latest addition and found to be clinically acceptable and used in Europe and the US.
