Pune: Army Institute of Cardiothoracic Sciences (AICTS) recently performed transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation , a complex and costly treatment, on a 56-year-old woman who has been suffering from congenital heart disease since birth. The patient was born with tetralogy of fallot , a congenital heart defect, for which she underwent surgery at the institute in 1976. Since then, she lived with pulmonary valve leakage and incapacitating heart failure, which hindered her ability to earn a livelihood.
"The challenge for us was the need for a huge valve that is not readily available in the market. Usually, the valve used is about 22 to 26 mm. Her valve size required was 35 mm, almost 25% higher.
The problem with large valves is instability and risk of embolisation if not implanted at an accurate site. The key was accurate placement within a range of less than 10 mm error margin," a senior army doctor from AICTS told TOI. "We collaborated with a firm that customised and built a valve of the appropriate size for her.
However, implanting a large valve carries a higher risk compared to standard valves, making the procedure even more challenging. On Feb 14, our team of paediatric cardiologists, adult cardiologists, and critical care staff successfully carried out this complex procedure," said the doctor, adding, "Such large valves have been rarely placed in the country. Maybe less than 25 cases so far.
" Previously, this treatment would have required major heart surgery. However, a.