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Doctors dissect heart valve repair

Photo: Leju Kamal

Matters of heart: Dr. Allesandro Frigiola from Italy addressing the inaugural session of a workshop on heart valve repair at St.Gregorios Cardiovascular Centre in Pathanamthitta on Saturday.-

PARUMALA (PATHANAMTHITTA DT.): Some of the world’s leading cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiologists gathered at the small village of Parumala, on the banks of the Pampa, on Saturday.

They are attending a two-day Eurasian workshop on heart valve repair, organised by the Chennai-based Frontier Lifeline at the St. Gregorios Cardiovascular Centre.

K.M. Cherian, cardiac surgeon and chairman of Frontier Lifeline, said the centre was the only rural cardiac centre in India and perhaps the first in Asia. Holding the highly technical workshop in the village would be of great help to throw more light on the fast-developing field among medical professionals in urban and rural areas.

Dr. Cherian said valve repair needed expertise and not every cardiac surgeon could do this highly skilled job, which was safer, advisable and cost-effective.

The workshop attains much significance with the presence of five leading specialists in valve repair from abroad — A.M. Calafiore from the University of Calania in the U.S.; Thomas Salerno from the University of Miami, Florida, U.S.; Rimantaas Benetis of Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania; Ottavio R. Alferi of Ospedale San Raffaele at Milan, Italy; and Allesandro Frigiola of San Donato Hospital, Milan, Italy.

Twenty delegates from countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are attending the meet, besides 80 from India, Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, organising secretary, said. Prof. Frigiola told The Hindu that operative risk in mitral valve repair was low with high effectiveness, small surgical trauma and long-term results. Producing surgical results with minimal trauma, short hospital stay and fast recovery were the objectives of catheter-based mitral valve therapy.

“Heart valves that are defective may either be repaired or replaced with a tissue or mechanical substitute, depending on the severity of the condition. If the valve damage is mild, doctors may be able to treat it with medicines and if it is severe, surgery to repair it or a replacement may be needed,” he said.

Jagmohan A. Tharakan, Professor of Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, and Rajan Joseph Manjooran, Director of Pushpagiri Heart Institute, addressed the morning session.

Experts attending the workshop said valve repair was the best option for patients with a leaking mitral valve and for many with a narrowed (stenotic) valve.

Compared with valve replacement, repair provided better long-term survival and preservation of heart function and a lower risk of complications. An improved lifestyle, a lower risk of stroke and infection and freedom from using blood thinners (anticoagulation) were the other advantages, they said.

Catholicos of the East Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos-I will deliver the benedictory speech at the valedictory session on Sunday.

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