Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital has become the first government health facility in Gauteng to perform the MitraClip implant, a procedure designed to treat severe mitral regurgitation (MR).
More than a dozen of the procedures have already been successfully carried out in the Western Cape.
TimesLIVE reports that the procedure involves the insertion of a tiny clip via a catheter to help seal the mitral valve and restoring normal blood flow through the heart.
Mitral regurgitation, a condition where the mitral valve leaks blood backward into the heart, is a serious health concern. It increases pressure in the lungs and can lead to heart failure if left untreated.
The MitraClip device improves heart function and quality of life, offering patients a viable alternative to open-heart surgery, often a risky procedure for elderly or high-risk individuals. The key benefits include drastically reduced recovery times, often just one or two days post-insertion.
Gauteng Health & Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said the procedure last week at Charlotte Maxeke was a reflection of the growing collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Dr Arthur Mutyaba, an interventional cardiologist at the hospital and director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory, said that the MitraClip was ideal for patients previously considered too high-risk for surgery.
“We can now help them get back to a normal life without having to expose them to the risk of open-heart surgery,” he said.
The Charlotte Maxeke procedure marks the fourth round of MitraClip implants in South Africa, after the first 12 successful procedures performed at Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals in Cape Town.
The MitraClip programme is unique in that it is only available at leading academic hospitals, giving public and private patients access to cutting-edge heart valve therapy. It is not yet available in private healthcare facilities.
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