PANTAI HOSPITAL Kuala Lumpur (PHKL) has launched its Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (Tavi) programme.
Tavi is a minimally invasive procedure designed to replace a narrowed aortic valve that does not open properly. It is typically performed through a small incision in the groin, using a catheter to implant a new valve under x-ray guidance.
The complex procedure is performed by a Tavi team led by PHKL senior consultant cardiologist Dr Yee Kok Meng on patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis, a condition in which the aortic valve narrows and impedes blood flow from the heart to the body.
“Traditionally, these sick heart patients were treated surgically by replacing the damaged heart valve with an artificial valve via open heart surgery. However such operations especially in the elderly population or those with multiple comorbidities may be very high risk. Now with Tavi, we are able to offer such patients an alternative approach that is both minimally invasive and much safer,” said Yee.
Over the past month, two patients diagnosed with critical aortic stenosis, including an 83-year-old gentleman from Ipoh, and a 69 year-old Indonesian recovering from a recent stroke underwent Tavi successfully. Both patients were discharged home within 48 hours of the procedure.
