The Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) says it yesterday performed the first successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), also known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), in Guyana.
A release from CHI said that TAVI offers a minimally invasive approach to repairing the aortic valve. During the procedure, it said that an artificial valve is implanted into the heart. Without the removal of the old, damaged valve; the new valve is inserted on the interior of the diseased valve.
Two patients underwent this procedure: a 67-year-old diagnosed with Severe Aortic Stenosis, and a 65-year-old diagnosed with Severe Aortic Stenosis and Coronary Artery Disease. Aortic Stenosis, characterised by the narrowing of the aortic valve. This affliction restricts normal blood flow, while Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) intensifies this condition by causing plaque buildup in the arteries supplying blood to the heart.
