Chennai hospital performs 925 EVPP surgeries
The procedure, which is an alternate to heart transplant, is a rare and complex one.
CHENNAI: A hospital in the city has performed the highest number of successful Endoventricular Patch Plasty (EVPP) procedures in the country. The procedure, which is an alternate to heart transplant, is a rare and complex one.
Costing a tenth of a heart transplant, it eliminates the need to wait long for a perfect donor for transplant. The method is also known to reduce the risk of rejection or secondary infection and it requires a much shorter period for recovery.
The Apollo Hospital at OMR created the record following a recent surgery on 54-year-old N. Vive-kanandan. The patient had been brought to the hospital after his heart failed. He had become unconscious as a result.
The disease, which is a common and serious heart disorder, affects a large number of people in the country and costs lakhs of ru-pees. The reports say, a lar-ge portion of those suffering from heart failures, have a myocardial infection, which results in loss of regional contraction.
The team at Apollo, under the guidance of Janardhan Reddy – a pioneer in cardiac surgery –performed the surgery on Vivekanandan, which has brought him back to normalcy.
The team has performed around 925 EVPP surgeries till date. “The method treats congestive heart failure and improves quality of life. A major heart attack can turn the heart muscle to scar tissue, which does not beat with the rest of the heart,” said Reddy. “Removal of this area and restoration of the heart to a normal shape and size can improve the beating efficiency and help with the symptoms as of congestive heart failure,” he added.