A 91-year-old woman who had been refused surgery for her appendicitis and had to make do with antibiotics received a more advanced and less invasive procedure that put an end to her suffering.
Physicians deemed the woman unfit for anesthesia due to aortic valve stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart that occurs in approximately 12 percent of people aged 75 and above. People with the condition have a mortality rate of 50 percent if they do not undergo a heart valve replacement surgery within a year.
According to Taipei Veterans General Hospital’s (TVGH) Division of Cardiology physician Chen Ying-hwa (陳嬰華), the patient, surnamed Yin (尹), suffered from acute appendicitis multiple times, but her severe aortic valve stenosis made it too risky to surgically treat her condition.
“However, given Yin’s advanced age, having her undergo a traditional valve replacement surgery — which takes up to five hours and requires a long, open-chest incision — could jeopardize her life,” Chen told a news conference in Taipei yesterday afternoon.
After careful consideration, Chen said Yin decided to receive a trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) surgery, which involves inserting a new artificial heart valve using a balloon catheter that enters the body through the femoral artery.
Because of the relatively small incision, Yin was transferred into an ordinary ward after spending just one day in an intensive care unit and was able to walk by herself shortly afterward, Chen said.
TVGH Cardiovascular Surgery Care Unit Director Chang Shiao-hwang (張效煌) said severe aortic valve stenosis is defined by an aortic valve opening smaller than 1cm2, and has a prevalence rate of about 3.5 percent among people aged 75 and older.
“After the onset of symptoms, including a sensation of chest pain, fainting and cardiac failure, more than 50 percent of patients with the condition die within a year if they receive only medical treatment without a valve replacement procedure,” Chang said.
However, about 30 percent of patients with severe aortic valve stenosis are unable to have such procedures, due to their ages or other physical conditions, he said.
“That makes the introduction of TAVI in 2002 all the more important, as it offers a chance of survival to individuals who cannot tolerate the traditional surgery,” Chang said.
Despite its advantages, Chang said TAVI also has its disadvantages, citing the high price of an artificial heart valve that is yet to be covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI) program and costs more than NT$1 million (US$31,700).
“Also, serious complications could occur if the artificial valve is of the wrong size or is not positioned correctly, such as heart failure and even death,” Chang said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
RSS