National Heart Center Performs Catheter to Close Sinus Venosus ASD
4/6/2018
The National Heart Center (NHC) at the Royal Hospital performed recently a cardiac catheter, the first of its kind, to close the Sinus Venosus ASD rather than the surgical intervention.
The catheter was performed to a patient suffering from an atrial septal defect (ASD) of the type (Sinus Venosus ASD) by a medical team headed by Dr. Salim Al-Maskari, NHC Director and Senior Consultant of Cardiology and Dr. Abdullah Al-Farqani, senior Consultant of Cardiac Catheterization in collaboration with a number of anesthesiologists, cardiologists and nursing staff.
In this regards, Dr. Al-Maskari explained that the patient was anesthetized, and then the medical team inserted accurate sensors through a small hole in the groin area. After that, the sensors took their paths to the heart, the measurements of the aperture in the heart have been taken and finally, the medical stent installed so that it fully covers the aperture without affecting the blood vessels.
Al-Maskari also indicated that there are many advantages to this catheter; reduction of surgical intervention, reducing side complications associated with the catheter, short period of patient's stay in the hospital, as well as practicing normal life activities shortly after the catheter.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Farqani said, "There are a number of challenges in this catheter the shortage of a specialized medical cadre performing such catheterizations worldwide". He added that this service will open new prospects for the patients suffering from atrial septal defects.