A seven-year-old beagle dog named Juliet has undergone minimally invasive heart surgery to cure mitral valve dysfunction, a common illness in dogs. This is a historic moment for veterinary medicine in India. This is the first time private veterinary practitioners in the Indian subcontinent have conducted this technique; it was done at Max PetZ Hospital in East Kailash, Delhi.
Heart leakage occurs when mitral valve dysfunction impairs the heart's regular blood flow. This can have a very negative effect on a dog's quality of life and result in congestive heart failure. In the past, the only available treatments were drugs to control symptoms rather than provide a cure. Open cardiac surgery to replace the valve is quite invasive and dangerous, even though it might be curative.
Juliet's condition was resolved with a significantly less intrusive process during her transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) surgery. The surgical team's lead veterinarian interventional cardiologist, Dr. Bhanu Dev Sharma, outlined the advantages of TEER. It's a hybrid procedure that blends interventional and microsurgical methods. Its minimal intrusiveness is what makes it great. TEER is carried out on a beating heart, in contrast to open heart surgery, which needs heart-lung bypass equipment."
In order to fix the leaky valve, Dr. Sharma's team used a valve clamp that was implanted using a catheter on May 30th. Their training in Shanghai, China, is the source of their proficiency in this innovative technique. Until recently, the mainstay of veterinary care for mitral valve disease was medication, which was used to control symptoms and limit the disease's progression.
Dr. Sharma's team, the first in Asia and second globally among private practitioners to perform a successful TEER procedure, has brought in a new era of veterinary cardiology in India. This innovative surgery provides a less risky and more effective treatment option, potentially improving the health and lifespan of dogs living with mitral valve disease.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)