Sapiens cath valve placed in old tissue valve

[Johan]

This last week Dr's in Cape Town placed an Edwards Sapiens valve through a woman's carotid artery into her failing tricuspid tissue prosthetic valve.

This was reported in a Cape Town newspaper yesterday 3 Dec 2010. I tried to get the article electronically from the newspaper but they wanted payment for it, so I scanned it but the quality is rather compromised.

What I can gather from the news article is that the woman, now 39, had both her tricuspid and aortic valves replaced when she was 18 through traditional OHS. The new tricuspid started degenerating now after 11 years but the aortic seems to be still fine. Dr Helmuth Weich, a Cape Town cardiologist, replaced the tricuspid with an Edwards Sapiens valve by placing it in the old tissue valve in a 2 hour procedure through her right carotid artery.

I have also placed the scanned article in my photo album on my profile...

 

[neva]

catherterization for valve replacement

catherterization for valve replacement

I am waiting (in Missouri, USA) for "authorization" to do valve replacement through the aorta. My cardiologist said it would be approved within a few months. He suggested I wait until then. Do you know any more than that? My general practitioner also told me it was close to the time it would be approved. The cardiologist said it would be "same day surgery." Sounds good to me!!