Marco Costa team , interventional cardiologist at Hospital da Luz Coimbra, successfully performed, on November 23, a percutaneous valvular intervention (through catheter) , for repair of a severe mitral valve insufficiency . “The patient had a severe pulmonary disease, which seriously enhanced the risk of conventional surgical intervention with general anaesthesia”, explains Marco Costa. The procedure – performed for the first time in the Unit of Cardiovascular Intervention from Hospital da Luz Coimbra – improved considerably the clinical condition of the patient, who was discharged from the Unit of Intermediate Care only three days after, without complications. “This is a therapeutic possibility that exists now for all symptomatic patients with increased surgical risk. It requires a deep knowledge of cardiac anatomy and the use of the most advanced tridimensional echography means, guiding every step of this complex intervention. This was only possible, because all the procedure was done with the patient under deep sedation, not requiring aerial invasive intubation”, further refers the cardiologist . The Unit of Cardiovascular Intervention from Hospital da Luz Coimbra , which started operating this year, under the coordination of Marco Costa, has already performed dozens of complex coronary interventions, besides closure of interatrial communication with resort to intracardiac echography. Now, another stage takes start, with this kind of valvular interventions of greater complexity . In the photo above , Marco Costa (in the centre) and his team: from left to right, Raquel Fernandes, Nuno Alves, Ana Faustino, Filipe Correia, Ana Fonte Boa, Gonçalo Marques, Jorge Pimentel, Susana Margalho, Marco Costa, Rafaela Ramos, Filipe Caseiro Alves, Laura Luís Paiva, Bruno Melica and José Ribeiro.
