A radically new method of operating on children with severe heart problems with- out life-threateni...
A radically new method of operating on children with severe heart problems with- out life-threatening open-heart surgery has been developed.
Four patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital have had a new valve implanted in their heart without opening the chest.
The operation was developed for children born with the connection between the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary, or lung, artery not fully formed. A catheter and a guide wire are inserted through a large blood vessel in the groin and advanced up through the heart into the pulmonary artery. The catheter is removed and the wire left in place in order to guide the delivery system for the fitting of a new heart valve.
Dr Philipp Bonhoeffer, head of cardiology at Great Ormond Street Hospital and developer of the technique, said: 'This process is much less invasive and less traumatic to the patient than open-heart surgery. Recovery is also quicker.'
Open-heart surgery requires up to a fortnight in hospital and three or four days in intensive care. Patients whose valves are replaced the new way can go home the next day. The fact that replacing valves is easier means it can be done more frequently, which has long-term benefits for patients.
The replacement valves have a limited time span and progressively become inefficient. Children with this condition have to face numerous operations in order to avoid the heart over-working.
Bonhoeffer said: 'Each re-opening of the chest for surgery is progressively more difficult so if this can be avoided, it is a major benefit. The main reason to perform this procedure is to allow more timely and frequent repair of the conduit.
'More frequent repair means the proportion of time the children spend with an inefficiently working heart is reduced. The children will be less tired, and have increased life expectancy.'
