Experts Close 300 Open Heart Patients Without Surgery

Experts have recorded remarkable feat in the treatment of about 300 hole in the heart patients, using a pin-hole technique (angiogram), without any scar on the chest.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a hole between the pumping chambers of the heart, which, traditionally can be closed by open heart surgery, which involves opening of the chest, by-pass-machine and closing the hole surgically.

However, a statement by Apollo Children’s Hospital, India, noted that transcatheter closure of VSD was successfully done for more than 300 children over the last five years with very less incidence of complication.

It explained that more than 50 per cent of the small to moderate sized VSDs could be closed by transcatheter technique, while experience of the operator, proper patient selection and proper planning are the keys to success in this technique.

Part of the statement reads, “However, in the last 10 years, there has been a tremendous development in the treatment of this condition where we have started closing the hole by pin-hole technique [angiogram] without any scar in the chest. However, a particular type of VSD- Subarterial VSD, a hole just below the main valves of the heart has to be closed by surgery only.”

The statement narrated that a 14-year old girl who came to the hospital with a congenital heart problem and a mildly damaged valve, was successfully treated using the pin-hole technique avoiding surgery.

“After explaining this to the family we took the child for the procedure. The procedure which took us half an hour, was done under local anaesthesia. The hole was successfully closed by VSD Device by transcatheter technique and she was discharged from the hospital on the very next day. The family was ecstatic, as their 14-year mental burden had come to end.

“During one year follow up, she was doing fine, there was no residual leak and there was no problem in aortic and pulmonary valve. This single day procedure helped her to avoid a cardio-pulmonary bypass surgery, lifelong scar on the chest and five-six days hospital stay following surgery,” the statement concluded.