Gleneagles Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) recently achieved another milestone in the medical field after they successfully completed the first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) procedure in Brunei.

This will allow local and overseas patients to seek similar treatment within the country.

The procedure was successfully performed by Dr Paul Chiam, a visiting Consultant Cardiologist from Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, as well as Consultant Cardiologist and local specialist Dr Sofian bin Dato Paduka Dr Haji Johar.

The procedure is a treatment for severe aortic stenosis, a condition where the aortic valve becomes narrowed by disease.

The aortic valve is the heart valve regulating the flow of blood from the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle.

Aortic stenosis results in problems of blood supply to the body and can give rise to symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain and fatigue. Left untreated, aortic stenosis can eventually lead to heart failure, severe infection and even sudden death.

Studies have shown that from the onset of aortic stenosis symptoms, the average survival rate is 63 per cent at two years and 20 per cent at five years. The prognosis is even worse for patients with severe diseases.

Normally, the treatment for aortic stenosis is open-heart surgery, where the chest is opened under general anaesthesia and the aortic valve is replaced with either a mechanical or biological valve. The recovery period in hospital for surgery can range from seven to 10 days in uncomplicated cases.

In more elderly patients or those at high risk for surgery, the TAVI procedure is a good option. During this procedure, a small incision is made in the groin at the site of the main blood vessel in the leg, the femoral artery.

A catheter containing the new replacement valve is then passed up the aorta and across the diseased aortic valve. The replacement valve is subsequently opened up or deployed and works immediately.

The tube is removed and the incision in the leg is closed. The recovery time for this procedure is usually much less than with conventional surgery.

Dr Sofian said, "Previously, patients had to be sent overseas to have this treatment performed. With the availability of this therapy in Brunei, suitable patients can now have their treatment closer to home."

According to the CEO of Gleneagles JPMC, Dr Peter Tay, Brunei is the first country to perform the TAVI procedure in Borneo. "This development is not only beneficial for patients in the Sultanate, but also for patients in neighbouring countries and the region who now have the option of being referred to our centre for TAVI."

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]