Kochi: A private hospital here has performed a
rare angioplasty in a boy, who was suffering from severe
narrowing at the beginning of Aorta, the major blood vessel
from the heart.
Dr R Padmakumar, Medical Director, Sunrise Hospitals at
nearby Kakkanad, told reporters that this was a rare form of
congenital heart disease with an incidence rate of one in one
lakh population.
The eighth standard student of Rajagiri School in
Ernakulam, Ashik Shahool, who had undergone the surgery, was
also present at the conference.
``Conventionally open heart surgery is adopted for this
type of heart disease. With the advent of Specialised Stents,
called `Covered Stents` angioplasty has become the treatment
of choice for such heart diseases,`` he said.
The stent was introduced through the artery in the thigh
region and the advantage of this procedure was the absence of
scar on the chest and the patient requires only short stay at
the hospital, he said.
The stents made in steel are imported from US, he said.
Cardiologists Dr Vinod Thomas and Dr Renjukumar B C
performed the procedure, he said.
Bureau Report