AQUIRED HEART EFECTS

CLINICAL SERVICES >SURGICAL CORRECTIONS >AQUIRED HEART EFECTS

Rheumatic Heart Disease

The human heart has four chambers; the right upper chamber receives the impure blood from the body, which is then pumped into the lungs by the right lower chamber. The blood purified by the lungs now returns to the left upper chamber and is pumped to rest of the body by the left lower chamber. Hence, blood moves freely from the upper to the lower chambers in one direction only because of the presence of valves.

Certain types of throat infections (Streptococcal) can sometimes affect the heart in varying degrees. They can either cause fusing of the valve leaflets tightly together preventing it from allowing blood to flow freely past it or tether the valve thereby making it leak. Isolated valve obstructions can be treated without surgery (Balloon Valvuloplasty). However valves unsuitable for this procedure need to be surgically repaired or replaced depending on the extent of damage. A wide variety of artificial valves are now commercially available which include metallic and tissue valves. Seen here are intra operative pictures of a tissue (left) and a metallic valve (right) sutured in place.

Seen here are intra operative pictures of a tissue (left) and a metallic valve (right) sutured in place.

CLINICAL SERVICES >SURGICAL CORRECTIONS > AQUIRED HEART EFECTS

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

The heart which pumps blood to the entire body still needs blood supply for its muscle to function. The heart muscles are mainly fed by two blood vessels the Left and Right Coronary Arteries and their innumerable divisions, like a tree and its branches. Obstruction to the blood flow in any of these branches causes angina or heart attacks depending on where and how severe the block is. The vast majority of these obstructions are relieved by PTCA & Stenting. However multiple severe obstructions warrant surgical revascularization in a procedure called Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery. Arteries from the chest (Internal Mammary) or hand (Radial Artery) or stomach (Gastric Artery) are used as conduits to bypass the blocked areas. Alternatively veins harvested from the legs are also used for the bypass restoring blood supply to the muscle, relieving symptoms and improving function.