Medics of Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) have successfully performed a special heart surgery called Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (TEVAR) for a complicated aortic problem. This marks the very first time that kind of surgery is done at a public hospital in Kenya.
The medics say the patient had a history of sudden onset retrosternal chest pain, radiating to the back that was progressively increasing.
“This was associated with easy fatigability, dyspnea and palpitations,” said KUTRRH, in a statement.
“At the Accident and Emergency Unit, a CT scan chest was done that revealed aortic dissection with a penetrating ulcer and intramural hematoma associated with a rupture of the thoracic aorta into the left hemithorax, the dissection extended from the aortic arch to the suprarenal abdominal aorta with: Intramural blood pools at the distal aortic arch Stanford type B (DeBakey III).”
After this, the patient was transferred to ICU for closer monitoring. Then a decision was taken to prepare the patient for an emergency TEVAR.
In years past, surgeons used open surgery to treat thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. But they now prefer TEVAR in many cases. That’s because TEVAR has an easier recovery and a lower risk of serious complications in appropriate candidates. TEVAR stands for Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair.
TEVAR is the recommended minimally invasive treatment for a weakened and/or dissected aorta. It is a procedure which is used to repair the aorta and provide inner support to its weakened sections. It relies on inserting a stent into the aorta to essentially scaffold the artery and remove pressure from its damaged parts.
This helps to prevent the aneurysm or ulcer from rupturing and also stops blood from leaking between the layers of the walls of the arteries in the case of aortic dissection.
The medical team comprised three cardio surgeons and a heart specialist. This was a significant step forward in healthcare.
Additional information
The aorta originates from the heart and it’s the main artery of the body, supplying blood to the circulatory system and all the vital organs.
A weakened aorta might be caused by an aortic ulcer, a thoracic aortic aneurysm or an aortic dissection. Many things can go wrong with the aorta, including an aneurysm (abnormal bulge in a weak area of your artery wall) or a tear in the lining of the walls (dissection).
Healthcare providers commonly use TEVAR to treat aortic aneurysms and dissections in the descending thoracic aorta. Without treatment, these aneurysms and dissections can be deadly.