Abu Dhabi: An advanced heart procedure in the UAE has given a mother, who suffered chronic shortness of breath, a new lease of life without going through a traditional open-heart surgery.
The 38-year-old mother of two children was diagnosed with multiple holes in the heart by a UAE-based doctor who chose to treat her with an innovative technique to treat her condition.
Dr Sanjay Rajdev, Consultant, Interventional Cardiology, NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, said the condition known as ‘fenestrated atrial septal defect with inter-atrial septal aneurysm’, usually warrants heart surgery, but it can be a worrying procedure for a patient, and requires substantial recovery time.
So instead, Dr Rajdev was able to close both holes by entering a tiny device through a vein in the patient’s leg and attaching tiny, umbrella-like stents to the holes, blocking them up.
The operation, known in the medical world as Atrial Septal Defect Device Closure (ASD), involves umbrella-shaped devices, called ‘amplatzer septal occludes’ (ASOs) being inserted into the hole, and then expanded to seal the hole.
Dr Rajdev and his team successfully closed the two holes by overlapping the umbrella-shaped devices. The mother suffered no complications post-procedure and was discharged after just two days.
Commenting on the treatment, Dr Rajdev said an open-heart surgery would have left a large scar on the patient’s chest. “I could see the pain and misery she felt when I suggested the idea of a major open-heart surgery and the thought of a large scar. I am very pleased that I was able to diagnose, and treat her condition in a way which left no scarring.”
The patient, who did not want to be named, said she was thankful because she had been looking for a diagnosis for her breathing troubles for six months. “After suffering for six months, I was able to find relief. I thank God every day for guiding me, since very few health care facilities have the necessary expertise for such complex ASD closures.”
