The first minimally invasive heart bypass operation in Bulgaria, in the course of which four bypasses were placed, was successfully performed on November 10, the “Ajibadem City Clinic” announced.
Behind the achievement are cardiac surgeons Dr. Andrey Neutov, Dr. Kristiyanna Mavrodieva and Dr. Maria Garalova, together with Dr. Radostina Kojuharova (anesthesiologist), Dr. Yasen Getsov (anesthesiologist), Teodora Kyurkchieva (perfusionist) and St. honey nurse Gergana Nikolova from UMBAL Cardiovascular Center of the medical facility.
The team, led by Dr. Neutov, gains access to the heart through a ten-centimeter opening between two of the patient’s ribs. The technique that specialists apply also includes the use of an “artificial heart-lung” device and temporary cardiac arrest. This allowed a complete revascularization of the heart (suturing of all necessary bypasses) to be performed relatively easily on the 69-year-old patient.
In the classic operation, the chest is opened with an incision in the middle of the sternum of about 20 cm, and in this case – the operation is the same in volume, but the surgical trauma is significantly smaller, there is no incision of the sternum, the recovery is more quickly, the cosmetic effect is significantly better. Last but not least, a number of possible complications are avoided, the hospital explained.
“In the last few years, minimally invasive heart bypass surgery has been actively developing in Europe and around the world. The more you try to operate on a heart through a smaller incision without seeing the whole thing, the more you realize that this is not only possible, but also a normal course of evolution in cardiac surgery. I am very glad that we are moving in parallel with the trends,” Dr. Neutov was quoted as saying in the announcement.
The Department of Cardiac Surgery of “Ajibadem City Clinic” – UMBAL Cardiovascular Center, headed by Dr. Asen Kelchev, has accumulated experience in performing surgical interventions with a small incision between the ribs or with a partial opening of the sternum for problems with heart valves. and the multitude of trainings completed in leading European clinics is part of the mandatory path to providing this type of skills and achievements for the team, the “Ajibadem City Clinic” also points out.
BTA recalls that at the beginning of February, six life-saving operations were performed in Pleven by the world-renowned Swiss heart surgeon Prof. Thierry Karel. The specialist works together with teams of the “Heart and Brain” hospital in Pleven.
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