Dr. Nguyen Duc Hung (Deputy Head of Cardiology Department) said that the 68-year-old patient had successfully undergone transcutaneous aortic valve replacement. This method of heart valve replacement has a great advantage in terms of recovery time.
After only 2 days, Ms. Nguyen Thi Van (Gia Lam, Hanoi) was discharged from the hospital in good health, while the traditional open valve replacement method takes at least 2 weeks to recover. In early June, the patient returned for a check-up and the previous uncomfortable symptoms gradually decreased and disappeared, the new heart valve stabilized, and her health recovered well.
3 months ago, Ms. Van had difficulty breathing, had to open her mouth to breathe while sleeping, and was often tired when exerting herself. Thinking she had a lung problem, she went to see a respiratory specialist at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi. Hearing a heart murmur, the doctor advised Ms. Van to have a cardiovascular examination. At the cardiovascular department, through ultrasound, the doctors diagnosed her with severe aortic valve stenosis and needed early intervention to avoid complications.
Ms. Van told the doctor that her previous unpleasant symptoms had disappeared after the percutaneous heart valve replacement.
Dr. Hung stated that although the transcatheter aortic valve replacement technique is minimally invasive, the preparation stage must be very careful to assess all the characteristics of the case as well as possible risks.
Before the intervention, the patient underwent a CT scan of the blood vessels and heart chambers to select the optimal valve size and angle to ensure absolute accuracy. Ms. Van's aortic valve was quite calcified, so the new valve needed to be calculated to press the entire valve leaflet tightly against the vessel wall for optimal results without complications.
The strict requirements of a team performing transcutaneous aortic valve replacement require close coordination and absolute precision such as using a pacemaker, lowering blood pressure, and optimal valve alignment. The second assistant must inflate the balloon and expand the valve at the right time. Because when expanding the valve, just one small mistake between the main person and the second assistant will cause an incident that causes the valve to be inaccurate in position, dislodge the valve, or leak next to the valve, all of which are serious incidents that affect the patient's life.
Doctors use a catheter inserted from the thigh along the blood vessels to the narrowed aortic valve. Under observation through the advanced Artis pheno angiography robot system in the modern hybrid intervention room, the blood vessels will be clearly visible thanks to background subtraction technology, helping the doctor identify and move the valve to the correct position. The artificial valve is pushed out of the catheter, popped out and works to replace the damaged heart valve.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (or transcatheter aortic valve replacement - TAVI) is a minimally invasive, gentle and effective technique with many advantages. It is also considered the most advanced trend in aortic valve replacement treatment. In the world, the rate of open heart valve replacement has decreased and the rate of percutaneous heart valve replacement has increased significantly because of its advantages.
Dr. Hung analyzed that the classic method commonly used is open heart surgery, although financially cheaper than the percutaneous intervention method, but the sternum must be sawed, which can affect breathing, leave scars, and require a long hospital stay and recovery time, possibly 2 weeks or months. In particular, patients after open valve replacement surgery must take anticoagulants and have a strict diet.
The current method of transcutaneous aortic valve replacement, although more expensive and equally effective, is gentler. Patients do not need to saw the sternum, do not need to use an artificial heart-lung machine, do not need general anesthesia, so the risk of complications is reduced. The intervention is only through a catheter, so patients lose less blood, have less pain, and can be discharged from the hospital in just 2-3 days and recover quickly.
Dr. Hung noted that after transcutaneous aortic valve replacement, patients need to maintain good oral and body hygiene to avoid valve infection. Patients can live and eat normally, without any physical restrictions.
(According to ANTĐ)
*Patient's name has been changed
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