Apr 25, 2022
Gurgaon, May 25, 2018, Joining the league of the select few healthcare facilities that can boast of the latest Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Closure Device, Paras Hospitals Gurgaon performed its first surgery using the FDA approved technology.
Recently, a 69-year-old Om Prakash Saini from Mahendargarhwas operated at the Gurgaon based leading healthcare facility successfully, while becoming hospital’s first case using the minimally invasive procedure.
Heading the team was Dr. Amit Bhushan Sharma, Associate Director & Unit Head, Interventional Cardiology, who explain the achievement further, “Only 10 people till date have undergone the surgery in India, and ours is the second hospital in Gurgaon region to have gained this capability.The LAA technology used to operate the patient is minimally invasive in nature, which means the surgery was conducted with minor incision, leaving the scope for quicker recovery.”
The technique is used to treat patients with atrial fibrillation, which is characterized by irregular heartbeats. The beating of heart in irregular rhythm indicates blood clot-related issues with the heart. Studies have indicated that 95% of blood clotsin patients with atrial fibrillation are formed in the LAA.
A heart is usually divided into 4 chambers. In such cases, many impulses begin at the same time and spread through the two upper chambers of the heart or atria. The crowding of impulses at the entry points of the upper chambers prevents contraction of the atria, and by implication, hinders squeezing of blood into ventricles. Blood therefore collects in LAA and forms clots, which then cause a stroke. People with atrial fibrillation are 5 to 7 times more likely to have a stroke than the general population.
“Preventing a cardiac stroke is the foremost priority in such cases. Often patients are prescribed blood thinner, such as warfarin, which reduces stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, but several concerns have been reported regarding the use of warfarin by patients. Therefore, LAAClosure Device proves to be a better alternative solution.”
Some of the reported concerns with warfarin as reported are: Frequent blood draws are needed to measure the patient’s international normal ratio (INR), or clotting time. While taking warfarin, patients need to limit the intake of certain foods that contain vitamin K. There exists higher risk of bleeding while taking warfarin. Some patients find it hard to tolerate warfarin or have trouble maintaining a normal INR.
“If the patient is at risk of developing clots in the left atrium/LAA, your doctor may recommend a procedure to seal off your LAA. This can reduce your risk of stroke and eliminate the need to take blood-thinning medication,” Said Dr. Bhushan Sharma