The Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases in Almaty conducted a series of minimally invasive operations on patients with severe mitral regurgitation using TEER technology on a beating heart without opening the chest or using cardiopulmonary bypass. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
An international practical master class on transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) of the mitral valve brought together Kazakh cardiologists and experts from China. Specifically, Professor Liu Yan, Director of the Echocardiography Department at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Professor An Guipeng, an international expert in intraoperative echocardiographic guidance for structural interventions, and specialist Zhang Chao participated in the joint operations.
On the Kazakh side, the high-tech interventions were performed by a multidisciplinary team from the institute led by Alexey Kolesnikov, head of the X-ray endovascular operating unit. The surgical team included interventional cardiologists Almat Kalzhanov, Nurzhan Temenov, Arystan Kuzhukeyev, and Marzhan Ilyaskyzy.
According to the Ministry of Health, doctors first conducted clinical reviews of patients, discussed modern approaches to patient selection, and the specifics of performing the TEER procedure.
"All operations were performed using the modern DragonFly system, which allows independent grasping of the mitral valve leaflets, ensuring effective elimination of mitral regurgitation," the statement said.
Thanks to transesophageal echocardiographic control, precise positioning of the DragonFly system, objective assessment of the intervention result, and maximum patient safety at all stages of the procedure were ensured. All operations were successful.
The institute emphasized that mastering the new technology in cardiac surgery will expand the possibilities of providing high-tech medical care to patients with severe mitral regurgitation and improve their quality of life.
Kursiv previously reported that doctors at the Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases in Almaty performed a complex operation on a patient with severe aortic stenosis who was literally suffocating with every movement.