Kenyan doctors perform successful rare heart valve transplant – VIDEO
Kenyan doctors have successfully conducted a rare heart valve transplant involving an 83-year-old Catholic priest at the Mediheal hospital.
The medical procedure, considered the first of its kind in the region, was recently conducted in Nairobi.
Father Brambilla Luigi Carlo, was suffering from severe calcification and obstruction in one of the heart valves, a disease called severe aortic stenosis.
On the day he sought medical attention, the priest exhibited symptoms that included dizziness and gasping for air before passing out.
Cardiology in charge, Dr Vijay Sinh Patil, said an echocardiography test was conducted which confirmed aortic stenosis with impaired heart pumping.
Considering his age and heart-pumping the doctors offered him percutaneous Tran’s catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR/TAVI) treatment because he was not willing for open-heart surgery owing to the high risk.
As this was the first case in Kenya, there were a lot of challenges regarding material, valve, and logistics.
“We did the procedure through the right groin i.e. right femoral artery by putting a large tube. As this was a balloon-expandable valve we mounted a balloon navigator system and implanted an aortic valve level after pre dilatation with a 23mm Mammoth balloon,” said Dr. Partil.