ID :
16701
Fri, 08/22/2008 - 18:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/16701
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Revolutionary heart surgery successful
(AAP) A NSW woman has become the first Australian to have a heart valve replaced without open heart surgery in a procedure set to revolutionise cardiac treatment for the frail and elderly.
In the radical procedure, a new aortic valve is attached to a long rod and fed through a small incision in the groin up to the heart, where it defrosts andexpands.
The state-of-the-art operation will replace conventional open heart surgery for many older Australians who are too frail or ill to cope with a major operation and longrecovery time.
Kathleen Condon, a 92-year-old from Port Macquarie in NSW, became the first to undergo the procedure on Wednesday. Her doctors say dozens of other Australianswill soon follow.
"This is a major breakthrough for older patients who have a worn out, failing aortic valve and too many other medical problems to make conventional surgery a good option," said Professor David Muller, director of interventional cardiology at StVincent's Hospital in Sydney.
"With this new technology, we can offer more patients a better prognosis, sparing them surgery and a months-long recovery period, which all huge benefits, especially if you're in your 80s or 90s." He said it was timely given the number of patients requiring heart valve replacementwas expected to increase sharply over the coming decades.
Mrs Condon, a keen bridge player with an active life, said she was relieved to avoidfull surgery and was feeling "remarkably well" just 48 hours after her operation.
The otherwise stressful operation did not appear to be taking a tough toll on her.
"I'm actually hoping to join a gym after all this is over," she told journalists.
Four other NSW residents, all aged over 80, have since had the procedure, andhospitals in Brisbane and Melbourne will soon be offering it.
Specialists say younger heart patients will not be offered the procedure until it has been proven just as effective in the long term as conventionally insertedvalves.
In the radical procedure, a new aortic valve is attached to a long rod and fed through a small incision in the groin up to the heart, where it defrosts andexpands.
The state-of-the-art operation will replace conventional open heart surgery for many older Australians who are too frail or ill to cope with a major operation and longrecovery time.
Kathleen Condon, a 92-year-old from Port Macquarie in NSW, became the first to undergo the procedure on Wednesday. Her doctors say dozens of other Australianswill soon follow.
"This is a major breakthrough for older patients who have a worn out, failing aortic valve and too many other medical problems to make conventional surgery a good option," said Professor David Muller, director of interventional cardiology at StVincent's Hospital in Sydney.
"With this new technology, we can offer more patients a better prognosis, sparing them surgery and a months-long recovery period, which all huge benefits, especially if you're in your 80s or 90s." He said it was timely given the number of patients requiring heart valve replacementwas expected to increase sharply over the coming decades.
Mrs Condon, a keen bridge player with an active life, said she was relieved to avoidfull surgery and was feeling "remarkably well" just 48 hours after her operation.
The otherwise stressful operation did not appear to be taking a tough toll on her.
"I'm actually hoping to join a gym after all this is over," she told journalists.
Four other NSW residents, all aged over 80, have since had the procedure, andhospitals in Brisbane and Melbourne will soon be offering it.
Specialists say younger heart patients will not be offered the procedure until it has been proven just as effective in the long term as conventionally insertedvalves.
