Minimally invasive catheter-based treatment has evolved as the standard treatment option for complex heart diseases, N. Prathapkumar, senior cardiologist, has said.
He was opening the annual conference of Interventional Cardiology Council of Kerala at Hotel Raviz Kadavu here.
“Advanced cardiac catheter technologies or keyhole access methods have ensured that without opening the chest, coronary artery blocks can be removed, heart valves can be repaired or replaced, punctures in heart closed, congenital heart defects repaired, and even a permanent pacemaker can be inserted,” Dr. Prathapkumar said.
E. Rajeev, organising secretary, said studies had indicated that most of the people in our State had access to hospitals with cathlab facilities in just 30 minutes. “However, around 8% of the population in remote areas are still outside timely access zones,” he said.
The first day of the conference saw special sessions on new imaging tools: intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography that look into heart and blood vessels from inside and make procedures better, comfortable, and safe.
