Hyderabad: NIMS Doctors Perform Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Replacement
The procedure restored blood flow without the need to open the chest and was expected to allow a faster recovery while improving the patient’s quality of life.
Hyderabad: Doctors at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) performed a minimally invasive heart valve replacement on a 37-year-old woman who developed severe pulmonary regurgitation years after undergoing surgery for a congenital heart defect identified as Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF).
The patient had severe leakage of the pulmonary valve, affecting the normal flow of blood through the heart.
Instead of open-heart surgery, the Nims cardiology team implanted a ‘Harmony transcatheter valve’ through a blood vessel, according to the hospital.
The procedure restored blood flow without the need to open the chest and was expected to allow a faster recovery while improving the patient’s quality of life, a statement said.
The procedure was led by Dr N. Rama Kumari, head of the Department of Cardiology, along with Dr Sunitha A., Dr K. Uma Devi, Dr R. Pradeep, Dr Anurag K.S. and the Nims cardiac support team.
The procedure was for patients who develop pulmonary valve problems following childhood surgery for ToF, as a catheter-based valve replacement could provide an alternative to another open-heart operation in suitable cases, the hospital said.
The Harmony valve is a transcatheter pulmonary valve designed to treat pulmonary valve dysfunction in patients with certain congenital heart conditions.
