04 May 2010
Vietnamese homemaker successfully treated for two heart disorders
National Heart Centre Singapore surgeon cures heart problems of 30 years
Madam Pham Thi Hien, a homemaker from Hanoi, suffered from mitral valve stenosis for 30 years. She often felt chest pain, faint and breathless. The condition is due to the abnormal narrowing of the heart valve, caused by progressive wear and tear or scarring of the valve due to a rheumatic fever.
Madam Pham’s condition was mild in the beginning but worsened over the years. Through a friend, Madam came to know of the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) and decided to seek treatment in Singapore. Her son had read up about the centre and was confident that the experienced and well-trained doctors at NHCS would be able to successfully treat his mother.
Dr. Tan Teing Ee, a senior consultant at NHCS, attended to Madam Pham. He diagnosed that her mitral valve, located between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart, needs to be replaced. The heart has four chambers: two upper chambers called atria and two bottom ones called ventricles. Her tricuspid valve, between the right atrium and right ventricle, was also damaged and needs to be fitted with an annuloplasty ring (see below). To treat Madam Pham’s conditions, Dr. Tan, who is an experienced cardiologist performed two procedures at the same time: mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty (see below).
This is the first time Madam Pham had received medical care in Singapore and she is very happy with the treatment. “The response time is very good. On the first day I arrived at the centre, I went for all the tests and they were done in one day. I didn’t have to wait.” She added, “I had two nurses who took turns to look after me and I feel really well taken care of.”
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What is mitral valve replacement?
A mitral valve, also called a bicuspid valve for its two flaps or leaflets, is located between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart. It controls the flow of oxygenated blood from the lungs to the rest of the body. When the valve is badly damaged, surgery to repair or replace the valve is needed. Most of the valve repair or replacement surgery done by heart surgeons involves valves on the left side of the heart (such as the mitral and aortic valves) as the left side of the heart works harder than the right.
A mitral valve replacement, like an aortic valve replacement, is an open-heart surgery. It involves replacing a damaged mitral valve with a mechanical or biological one. Biological valves made from animals typically last 10 to 15 years before they need to be replaced. They have the advantage of not needing life-long blood thinning medication to prevent blood clots from forming on the valve surfaces. Mechanical valves, on the other hand, are extremely durable and can last up to 40 years. However, a patient fitted with a mechanical valve will need to take anti-coagulation (blood thinning) medicine for the rest of his or her life.
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What is annuloplasty?
Annuloplasty is a procedure to reshape or tighten the valve annulus, the tissue around the valve, by sewing a ring structure around the annulus. The ring may be made of biological or synthetic material. |
For more information about mitral valve replacement and other heart treatments, log on to www.nhcs.com.sg.