Kerala Medical College seals artificial heart valve leak without opening patient's chest

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 18 (UNI) In a rare medical feat, Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital has successfully repaired a leak around an artificial heart valve using a minimally invasive technique, avoiding the need for another open-heart surgery for a 55-year-old woman. The patient, who had previously undergone surgery to replace both her mitral and aortic valves with artificial mechanical valves due to severe heart disease, developed a leak near the artificial mitral valve. Such complications often require complex surgery involving reopening the chest. However, a team of specialists at the medical college opted for a catheter-based procedure to minimise the risks…