For the first time in Israel, the staff of Hadassah Hospital implanted a patient's heart in a method that has not been tried in Israel to date, and is rarely performed worldwide.
This is a special procedure in which the valve is inserted into the required place in the heart, not through the groin artery in the usual way, but through a carotid artery in the neck, a very rare and complex procedure performed only in cases of real danger to the patient.
The rare incident occurred when a 76-year-old patient arrived at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital a few weeks ago with a severe cardiac shock due to a critical narrowing of the aortic valve - the valve in the heart between the left ventricle and the aorta.
In addition to heart disease, the patient also suffered from severe vascular disease that did not allow the conventional approach of inserting a replacement valve from the groin artery.
The operating team, Photo: Hadassah Hospital
Having no choice, it was decided to try a medical procedure that has never been tried before in the country in order to save the patient.
Dr. David Flanner, director of the catheterization department at Hadassah, says: "The patient who came to us needed the valve transplant urgently and all the accepted and common options did not suit him due to various diseases from which he suffered.
The case presented us with a real challenge and we realized we needed to think outside the box in order to save his life. "
"The operation is performed with a hybrid approach of catheters and surgeons, during which surgical exposure and control of the carotid artery is performed through which the valve is transferred and implanted in the patient's heart," the transplant team notes. "In view of the danger to life and the lack of therapeutic alternatives, it was decided together to move forward to action."
"Fortunately, the operation went smoothly, without complications, and we are proud to be the first team in the country to perform it and open up another treatment option for these difficult patients. The patient has been released for rehabilitation and we wish him a full recovery."
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