The doctors performed Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive surgical procedure that repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve on two senior citizens.
Chennai :
Another feather has been added to the cap of the Tamil Nadu Government’s Multi Super-Specialty Hospital at the Omandurar Estate with the private doctors performing advanced heart surgery, first-of-its-kind procedure, on two senior citizens in the government sector hospitals in the State recently.
The State Health Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2018 with paediatric cardiologist Dr Neville Solomon and interventional cardiologist Dr A B Gopalmurugan, who head the Heart Team India, to perform the advanced procedure at government hospitals for the initiative.
The doctors performed Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive surgical procedure that repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve on two senior citizens at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital at the Omandurar Estate on November 16.
“The State Health Department signed MoU with Heart Team India to perform the procedure and it is an initiative of Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar,” said Dr V Anandakumar, Nodal Officer, Tamil Nadu Multi Super-Specialty Hospital.
Speaking to Express, Dr Gopalmurugan said, “So far it was limited to private hospitals only. Now things have changed with the procedure performed at the Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital at the Omandurar Estate,” he added.
“In conventional procedure, the main valve aortic valve is replaced by an open heart procedure, but in TAVI, the new valve is implanted in the place of old valve through a blood vessel. Just like stenting,” Dr Gopalmurugan explained the procedure.
“The procedure is generally done for people beyond the age of 60 here. But, it can be performed on anybody who needs aortic valve replacement from low-risk group to medium-risk group for open heart surgery. Though in other countries open heart procedures were almost stopped and shifted to minimally invasive procedures, in India still open heart procedures are being done,” said Dr Gopalmurugan.
“This advanced procedure was only available at private hospitals, but with the initiative taken, it has reached even the poor. It is performed under the Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme,” he said. “The procedure was performed on two senior citizen, one from Rajapalayam and other from Erode. The patients were doing well and discharged subsequently,” Dr Anandakumar told Express.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / January 14th, 2019