If you or your beloved ones suffer from your heart, it is important you know about the various options that you are facing.
The cardiology units in Kaplan managed by Prof. Kobi George is leading in their field, using the most advanced methods for optimal treatment of the heart.
One of the innovative methods conducted in the Kaplan Medical Center is treatment of the stenosis of the aortal valve with high risk patients using catheterization instead of open heart surgery.
What is stenosis of the aortal valve?
Our heart provides oxygenated blood to all the organs in our body. The direction of the blood flow is regulated by the four valves of the heart. The aortal valve separates the left chamber and the aorta.
In cases of stenosis of the aortal valve, the valve does not open properly and the blood struggles to flow and this harms the blood flow, which is vital for the functioning of your body. When this happens, the patient will suffer from chest pains, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, congestion of the heart and also death.
So how is this treated?
In many cases the patient will receive medications to stabilize his condition but this does not always suffice.
For years, cases of severe stenosis of the aortal valve were treated using an open heart surgery, where you replace the defective valve with an artificial one. This procedure involves the opening of the chest, stopping the heart operation for the surgery, scars and a long rehabilitation process.
Not all patients can endure such a procedure. High-risk patients, old patients or patients with background illnesses cannot endure such a complicated surgery. So how can they be treated?
An innovative technology enables the implantation of an artificial valve using catheterization. The procedure is done under local anesthesia and the rate of complications is very low. The duration of admittance will be one to three days and the return to normal activity will be practically with no rehabilitation. Lately it has been proven, in large-scale international studies, that valve implantation using catheterization is considered efficient and safe for lower risk patients, which resulted in the FDA approving this procedure.
In the Kaplan Medical Center cardiology units, hundreds of valve implantations were conducted using catheterization by designated teams: catheterizators, echo-heart specialists and heart imaging specialists.
2 out of the 5 valves approved for such procedures were tried and first implanted in Israel by the Kaplan Cardiac units, and today there are different valve types designated for implantation – so our experts can choose wisely and match the right valve for every patient.
Also the Cardiac units in the Kaplan Medical Center has great experience in catheterization techniques to solve a variety of other valve issues, that until recently, were only treated surgically.
Catheterization using 3D imaging – another life-saving technology
The Kaplan Medical Center conducts thousands of routine catheterizations to open restricted arteries, and for the past two years we also conduct catheterizations using 3D imaging, if necessary.
An innovative system, the first of its kind in Israel, which includes 3D usage was embedded in the Kaplan Medical Center two years ago. The system allows to display an image of the cardiac arteries in a most exact manner. It shows the catheterizing cardiologist the mapping of the blood vessels and directs him to the exact point in which the restricted artery causing the heart failure should be opened. Using the system guarantees the best chance to prevent future problems with the stent implanted in the cardiac artery.
This development is at the forefront of global technology and the doctors of the Kaplan Medical Center already preformed many catheterizations using this innovative system, and they have the greatest experience in Israel in using this system.
Click here for more details about the catheterization unit in Kaplan
