Before this procedure was introduced at the Clinic by Dr. José Luis Pomar, heart surgeon at the hospital, patients who suffered an extensive heart attack could only had a ventricle size reduction through a dissection that not always was well tolerated because of the extracorporeal circulation required for the surgery. If this procedure was not possible they had to wait for heart transplantation or the implantation of an artificial ventricle. This new therapy, as it does not require the use of a heart-lung pump, is a good solution for these patients.
Patients operated at the Clínic were 50 and 52 years old at the moment of the surgery. A few years ago they had an extensive a heart attack in the left ventricle that caused a growth and a deformation of this crucial chamber. As a result there was a decrease in the efficiency of the heart contraction that led to a heart failure. This impaired contraction capacity limited their way of life and increased the risk of suffering a stroke by the accumulation of blood in those areas that do not constrict. With the elimination of the non-functioning part of the heart the remaining healthy tissue can beat more effectively.
The surgery was performed with the co-operation of Dr. Andrew Wechsler and Dr. Lon Annest, leading experts of this procedure worldwide, and nine months after the intervention, both patients have shown an enhanced ventricular efficiency. As a result, they enjoy a more active life with a lower risk of stroke, reason why they do not need permanent anticoagulant therapy.
Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons of the hospital are currently working together in the implementation of the REVIVENT-TC Ventricular Enhancement system. This system is intended to achieve the same results as its predecessor but in an even less invasive way, as it allows placing the small anchors in the heart without even opening the patient’s chest using a transcatheter procedure.