An unprecedented heart operation was performed by Argentine doctors on a 78-year-old patient who was the first to have a heart tumor removed with mini-invasive surgery of the aortic valve through the armpit and, in this way, open heart surgery was avoided.
The operation was the first of its kind performed in Argentina and was carried out by the Adult Cardiovascular Surgery team of the Italian Hospital with an innovative procedure that will allow the treatment of most aortic valve pathologies with an incision of just 4 centimeters.
“This mini-invasive approach differs from traditional techniques by avoiding sternotomy, that is, opening the sternum. The heart can be accessed with much less trauma, so patients benefit from a faster recovery, with lower risks of infections, less need for transfusions and a favorable aesthetic impact,” they indicated from the aforementioned hospital.
In addition, they expressed that the procedure performed by the medical team at the Italian Hospital had very encouraging results, since patients can resume their daily activities a few days after surgery.
The aforementioned health center has more than 10 years of experience in mini-invasive cardiac surgeries, a technique that was developed for different heart valves, but was missing for the aortic valve.
The implementation of this procedure opens new possibilities for the treatment of cardiovascular pathology in adults, improving the options for those patients who are candidates for aortic valve surgeries.
“The Italian Hospital leads this modern technique in Latin America, which offers rapid postoperative recovery and a lower rate of complications. This achievement represents the effort to acquire technology and the specific training of professionals to achieve excellence in medical care,” said the head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Service, Dr. Vadim Kotowicz.
For his part, cardiovascular surgeon Germán Fortunato, who trained in Canada, then trained in Germany to perform this type of intervention and led the team that carried out the surgery, said: “We are proud to have been pioneers in the implementation of a technique that not only improves the quality of life of patients, but also redefines the standards of cardiovascular medicine.”
This achievement was possible thanks to the coordinated work between professionals from different disciplines, who formed a team made up of surgeons and residents of cardiovascular surgery, anesthesiologists, instrument technicians, perfusionists and specialized cardiologists. (NA)
