CREDIT : NAVITOR & EKOS in this area has been in transcatheter aortic valve implantation ( TAVI ). A catheter-based treatment option for patients with aortic stenosis , TAVI does away with the need for conventional open-heart surgery .
After being the first hospital to successfully perform TAVI in Asia in 2009 , IJN has since continuously worked to improve upon the technique with even more inventive devices . In 2020 , the centre became the first in the ASEAN region to implant a man-made heart valve called Myval using the TAVI procedure . In addition to being made of biological tissue , this artificial heart valve is also equipped with a unique delivery system to enable greater precision and e�ciency .
More recently in 2023 , IJN introduced Navitor , a latest-generation TAVI device which further increases surgical precision . This device not only facilitates improved blood �ow through the aortic valve , but also comes with design features that enable doctors to better access patients� coronary arteries , particularly for younger patients who may require future treatments .
IJN has also advanced a range of minimally invasive procedures for patients with tricuspid regurgitation , a condition colloquially known as “ leaky heart valves ”. In 2021 , the centre was the first in Asia to introduce the TricValve Transcatheter Bicaval Valves system ( Bioprosthesis ). The treatment uses a dry stent valve on a preloaded delivery system , offering high-risk patients an alternative to annuloplasty or open-heart surgery . This year , IJN introduced yet another treatment alternative called the TriClip procedure , which involves using a system of clips delivered through the femoral vein to mitigate the back�ow of blood in the heart .
Navitor Valve Shows Promise in High-risk TAVI Patients
EKOS Control Unit 4.0
Additionally , I�N was the first in ASEAN to utilise the POLARx FIT Cryoablation Balloon Catheter , a device which reimagines cryoablation by allowing doctors to ad�ust and expand the catheter used to better fit a patient�s unique anatomy .
Advancing out-of-the-box solutions As part of this zeal for minimally invasive options , emerging scientific and technological fields hold promise in providing even more out-of-the-box solutions . In I�N�s case especially , the power of sound has been an unexpected breakthrough for developing new techniques .
An example of this can be seen in the centre�s use of intravascular lithotripsy in treating severe atherosclerosis , a condition characterised by narrowed artery walls caused by plaque build-up . The procedure involves the use of sonic pressure waves to break down hardened and calcified plaque , hence eliminating the need for conventional surgical methods . Since being the first in Malaysia to introduce intravascular lithotripsy , I�N currently employs the method as part of its toolbox when performing coronary angioplasty and stenting .
The centre has also employed ultrasound technology to treat pulmonary embolisms with its use of the EkoSonic Endovascular System ( EKOS ). The EKOS system has been proven to safely and quickly dissolve blood clots by using a catheter-based device , capable of delivering high frequency ultrasound and anticoagulants at the same time . In 2023 , IJN upgraded to the new EKOS Control Unit 4.0 to enable doctors to treat both the pulmonary arteries simultaneously .
Meanwhile , in the domain of heart rhythm disorders , I�N has turned to counter disruptions in the heart�s
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com ISSUE 5 | 2023
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