Ukrainian doctors have performed the first transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with American-made cardiac aortic valve prostheses which were purchased last year by the Medical Procurement of Ukraine at the request of the Ministry of Health.
This type of prosthetics is now an alternative to open-heart surgery for patients who need valve replacement.
These valves with transfemoral access in the amount of 111 items were delivered to Ukraine in January and April of this year.
The first implantation was carried out in the department of adult cardiology and cardiac surgery of the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery in Kyiv on February 24.
According to Acting general manager of MPU, Edem Adamanov, the manufacturing company conducted appropriate training for our doctors, who as of April 14 had already performed 20 implantations in clinics in Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, and Odesa.
"Hospitals in other regions have already examined their patients and are ready to join the TAVI program in Ukraine. TAVI is an excellent alternative to surgery. Its main difference and advantage is that the operation is performed without stopping the heart and without connecting to the artificial blood circulation system, so there is no need to cut the chest. In addition, the use of this method of treatment shortens the rehabilitation period and speeds up recovery," the head of the MPU emphasizes.
In particular, 26 doctors from eight regions of Ukraine underwent a two-day training in January. A multidisciplinary team consisting of interventional cardiologists and a cardiac surgeon from each hospital participated in the training, who will further examine patients before and after surgery, assess the risks of intervention, as well as plan and conduct such a procedure.
As of April 20, more than 50 patients have already been examined.
It should be noted that the first interventions (TAVI) require the support of an experienced doctor, therefore, due to the war in Ukraine, the manufacturing company certified Ukrainian specialists and organized online support for them from foreign specialists and centers that have extensive experience in conducting such procedures.
The manufacturing company has a separate certified specialist in TAVI therapy support in the staff, who performs loading of the bioprosthesis aortic valve.
At the same time, hospitals that perform a sufficient number of such interventions (10 or more TAVIs per year) have the option of certifying their own specialist in valve loading, according to the standards and protocols from the manufacturer.
Currently, such certification is already being carried out in Kyiv clinics.
For reference. Transcatheter valves are installed in elderly patients with aortic valve stenosis and associated cardiac disorders. In particular, they are used in the absence of the possibility of surgical treatment or for patients in the group of high surgical risk due to the presence of concomitant pathology.