New method to treat congenital heart defect
Published: 22 Nov 2016
Doctors in Singapore can now treat Tetralogy of Fallot, a form of congenital heart defect that affects the functioning of the valve, without open heart surgery. In this minimally invasive procedure, doctors insert a thin, hollow tube containing a specially designed heart valve, into a leg vein and push it into the heart. Once in the right position, the crimped valve will expand with the help of a balloon.
This procedure takes a few hours and helps to improve heart function so that the need for open heart surgery can be delayed. Since August 2016, two patients have successfully undergone the procedure by a team of congenital heart specialists from the National University Heart Centre, Singapore (NUHCS) and the department of paediatrics at National University Hospital (NUH).
In Singapore, the condition affects about two in 1,000 live births, and those born with the condition often have to undergo multiple surgical operations throughout their lifetime.
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