The Government Stanley Hospital’s cardiac surgeons have ensured that two young women will lead a normal life, thanks to biological heart valves.
The women, aged 23 and 15 years, required heart valve replacements. It would have been impossible for these women, one of whom is of marriageable age, and hailing from poor families, to consider tissue valves as they are expensive, said A. Varadarajulu, head of the Cardiothoracic Department. Cardiac surgeons in government hospitals usually opt for the cheaper metal or plastic valves.
The cheaper valves last a lifetime, but patients are put on lifelong medication to prevent blood clots. A person who receives a valve made of tissue retrieved from an animal or a cadaver requires no medication but the valve may have to be replaced after 10 or 15 years.
A recipient of a metal valve must undergo periodic blood tests to enable the doctor to adjust the anti-coagulation medication. But the anti-coagulant drugs could result in bleeding disorders, in not just the heart, but also other parts of the body. In women of reproductive age, it could result in uterine bleeding, making pregnancy difficult, he said.
Under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, the hospital procured tissue valves, and four persons, including an elderly man, have benefitted, Dr. Varadarajulu said.
“The tissue valves cost three times more than the metal valves but the advantages are greater for women patients of reproductive age,” he said.
Stanley Hospital Dean S. Gitalakshmi said the surgery would have cost around Rs. 3-4 lakh in a private hospital but was done for free here.
