Abu Dhabi: A 77-year-old Emirati became the first patient in the UAE to use a new type of minimally invasive surgery to treat tricuspid regurgitation.
The procedure was improved by experts at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), who improved their imaging capabilities and techniques before performing the procedure.
The tricuspid valve is one of the two main valves on the right side of the heart. It controls the blood flow from the upper right cavity to the lower right cavity of the heart. Tricuspid regurgitation occurs when the valve no longer closes completely when the heart beats. This causes the blood pumped into the heart to flow back in the wrong direction, causing pressure to increase and filling the body with excess fluid. This fluid can also accumulate in body tissues, causing swelling of the legs and organs, and seriously affecting the patient’s quality of life.
Symptoms caused by tricuspid regurgitation can usually be controlled with medications to help the body reduce fluid accumulation. However, until recently, patients who did not respond well to medications had no viable options to control their condition, because surgery to repair the valve was considered extremely risky.
In Afra’s case, it took years for the Emirati to travel from hospital to hospital due to excessive fluid accumulation in her legs and internal organs. This also prevented her from living a full and active life.
Recent technological advancements mean that doctors in a few centers around the world have begun to explore non-surgical methods to restore lost heart valve function.
“The tricuspid valve may be the most difficult of the four valves of the heart-especially when using percutaneous-or skin-through-methods. For example, the challenge is that the tricuspid valve is harder to see than the mitral valve,” CCAD Explained Dr. Mahmoud Traina, an interventional cardiologist in China.
“It is gratifying that, thanks to advances in imaging technology and the great dedication and hard work of our colleagues in the cardiovascular imaging department, we are now able to obtain a good enough field of view to repair the valve percutaneously, thereby helping patients who were previously untreated,” he added NS.
The experts spent several months improving the technology so that they could see each individual part during the procedure, including the use of real-time and 3D imaging.
During Afra’s three-hour minimally invasive surgery, the doctor inserted a small device that was clamped to the valve that sealed the tricuspid valve. Therefore, they created a strong seal to prevent the backflow of blood. The device is inserted through a vein in the patient’s leg and carefully guided to the heart. Doctors can use advanced ultrasound to see what they are doing and place a sealing device while the heart is still beating. It was found that this method is much safer than open-heart surgery and can restore the quality of life lost by the accumulation of body fluids.
“This is undoubtedly one of the toughest surgeries I have ever performed in my career. I am very happy that we have such an excellent team here and maintain a close relationship with our colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States. They have done more This type of operation can therefore provide us with direct guidance during the operation, as well as some tips and tricks that have proven to be very valuable,” said Dr. Traina.
Since undergoing the surgery, Afra’s quality of life has improved significantly and she is looking forward to returning to her farm, where she can take care of her plants again.
“I am very grateful to the people who brought this treatment to the UAE, my doctors, and CCAD. When Dr. Traina told me that the operation was minimally invasive and not a major operation, I was very relieved. The past few years have been very difficult, but I believe we are always in good condition. Now I look forward to doing what I like, including taking care of the small farm in my family,” she said.
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Post time: Nov-29-2021
