The government-run Advance Cardiac Institute (ACI) of Chhattisgarh has successfully transplanted an artificial valve in a heart and repaired the second valve (tricuspid valve), it was announced on Thursday.
Addressing the media, ACI Heart, Chest and Vascular Surgery HoD Dr Krishna Kant Sahu said the successful operation was conducted on a 47-year-old woman, a resident of Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh.
Dr Sahu said the patient complained of breathing problems for four years. A local doctor had blamed it on mitral valve stenosis (shrinking of bicuspid valve) while another valve (tricuspid valve) had leakage.
He said this was due to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which is common in central and north India.
The operation was conducted in which the damaged valve (bicuspid) was replaced by an artificial bileaflet mechanical metallic valve. In the second valve, a tricuspid annuloplasty ring was put to end the leakage of blood, said Dr Sahu.
Dr Sahu said till date nine operations have been successfully conducted -- seven were women and two men. Five cases were of congenital heart disease while four had undergone valve transplantation operation.
The below poverty line families got free of cost treatment under different central and state health schemes. Those patients not covered are charged on government rates.
Dr Sahu said cough, cold and fever caused during childhood by streptococcus bacteria should not be ignored as it later causes RHD.
ACI is located in the premises of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Medical College Hospital, Raipur.