Sometime they remained in line for months and patience was their only remedy. These days’ news of Razavi Hospital’s cardiology ward gives them a new hope for a calm and painless life.
A New Promise for CTO Arterial Occlusive
The initial core of European community of uro cto Club was formed, around ten years ago, by Professor Alfredo Galassi and seven other specialists in Paris. For its concentration on the issue of heart chronic failures, this community called itself CTO, abbreviation of Chronic Total Occlusion. As a person who has attended lots of congresses and workshops held in Razavi Hospital, Professor Alfredo Galassi, head of the community, has succeeded to cure some patients by this treatment method, holding advanced training workshops of CTO in Razavi Hospital.
On this issue, Dr. Ghasem Soltani, Razavi Hospital CEO, says, “Shifting toward modern and advanced services is the general policy of Razavi Hospital”.
With regard to Astan Quds Razavi’s huge investment in Razavi hospital’s equipment and facilities, it is tried to offer most updated treatment methods so that people can have better enjoyment. To obtain this goal and to give more advanced services in the area of cardiovascular diseases treatment, European academic centers including those of Italy and Germany were consulted and some heart surgeries were programmed finally. Although these surgeries are now conducted in Iran, their necessary knowledge and skills have not been localized yet and development of such methods in the country has to be done by interacting European and American specialists.
Referring to CTO surgery, he elaborated its conduct as follows, “Once in every three to six months for those whose chronic obstruction of coronary artery has not been cured by using common methods, some surgeries are conducted in training workshops with cooperation of experienced European specialists such as professor Galassi. Three CTO surgeries have ever been successfully conducted in this area”.
TAVI, A Surgery with Low Risk
For patients suffering from Aortic valve problem and need a valve replacement operation open heart surgery was the only treatment method for years; surgery with high risk with respect to special condition of patients. With respect to advancement of cardiology sciences both in the world and in Iran in recent years, however, a new method called TAVI has been introduced. Tavi is the abbreviation of transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This method has given a lot of hope to patients suffering from valve difficulties. This surgery was recently conducted on two patients in Razavi Hospital. The surgery was done through a mutual cooperation of center’s cardiologists and their German colleagues in Razavi Hospital.
Regarding successful TAVI surgery of these patients, Dr. Mahmoud Shabestari, head of the heart surgery ward in Razavi Hospital, says, “Two 82 and 85 years old patients with underlying diseases on whom doing open heart surgery had very high risk received TAVI surgery”.
In this method, a valve is fixed on the patient’s Aortic using his skin and peripheral artery only. The surgery was done through a cooperation of Razavi Hospital’s experienced teams of interventional, heart surgery, heart anesthesia, echocardiography, and medical imaging. Receiving Astan Quds Razavi’s supports, Razavi Hospital is passing a way in which it will turn into the country’s health pole.
A Method Becoming Popular Quickly
Dr. Lotfi said that TAVI surgery for changing Arotic valve is becoming rampant every day and Iran has to keep up with rest of the world. Dr. Shahram Lotfi, cardiologist and professor of University of Aachen in Germany who have cooperated in two TAVI surgeries under the supervision of Dr. Shabestari also says, “In this kind of operation, new valve is fixed on the patient’s own valve and it is entered merely through the leg’s femoral artery, with no opening of the chest”.
This method has been done as a common method for high risk patients in European countries particularly Germany since around ten years ago. He continued, “At the time being, two thirds of Aortic surgeries in Germany are now done with TAVI methods”.
Referring to the increasing use of TAVI method, this cardiologist believes, “This method will certainly be used even for low and medium risk patients in the near future, with respect to its low side effects and short recovery period. This method can also be useful for mitral valve. Experience and skillfulness of the medical team is also very important. Fortunately, Razavi Hospital possesses both necessary equipment and facilities and specialized physicians capable of managing such surgeries perfectly”.
