Dubai: The Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) heart team has introduced a new device that can cut back the incidence of brain strokes by 90 per cent in high-risk patients, said a top cardiologist with the authority.
Dr Fahd Baslaib, head of Cardiology at Rashid Hospital, elaborated on how the small device that is approved by both US and European Food and Drug Administration and successfully used in the West works.
“Atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat is likely to occur in patients of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, valvular heart disease and hypothyroidism, among others. It is a common disease that is more likely to occur in elderly patients, diabetics, hypertensive and heart disease patients,” Baslaib said.
“Atrial fibrillation results in higher chance of blood clot formations that can travel to any part of the body — be it heart, spleen, kidney or brain. Most commonly, clots travel to the brain and cause brain strokes. Usually, we advise strong blood thinners for such patients but in many cases these blood thinners cause internal haemorrhage which can be fatal. The new device isolates the blood clot at the origin and cuts back the risk of stroke by nearly 90 per cent in high-risk patients.”
So far, surgeons at the Rashid Hospital have successfully implanted the device in six patients.
Dr Baslaib explained that most clots originate in a section in the left atrium of the heart called left atrial appendage (LAA). The device is implanted through angiography or transoesophageal echo, which is minimally invasive, into the patient’s LAA. “The size and shape of the appendage is determined and the right fitting device is implanted. The device is made of metal and fabric and it expands once in place and occludes or closes the LAA, thereby isolating the clot and preventing it from travelling to any other part of the body, particularly the brain.”
The device which costs Dh27,000 is implanted at a total cost of Dh40,000. Many insurance companies are coming forward to cover the procedure as it is preventive and cut the cost of care by drastically reducing the incidence of stroke in high-risk patients and ensuring a good quality of life for them. The surgery is available both in Rashid and Dubai Hospitals.
How the device works
In Dubai, Rashid Hospital treats nearly 7,000 patients with strokes. The Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion device can prevent cut the risk of strokes in such patients by 90 per cent.
The device is introduced in the Left Atrium Appendage (LAA) through angiography which is minimally invasive. The LAA is the site where most clots form in patients who have irregular heart beats. The small metal and fabric device expands after it has been placed and completely occludes the LAA and isolates the clot within the area preventing it from travelling to any other part of the body. Within 6-8 weeks, the device integrates with the body.
