Revolutionary heart surgery now available in Gauteng

THE Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) has become the first health facility in Gauteng to successfully perform the MitraClip implants to mend leaking hearts.

The procedure’s key benefits include drastically reduced recovery times, often just one or two days post-insertion, making it a game-changer for elderly or high-risk mitral regurgitation (MR) patients who are unsuitable candidates for open-heart surgery.

With its availability through academic hospitals and the ongoing tracking of patient outcomes, this pioneering therapy is said to transform the treatment landscape for mitral regurgitation in South Africa.

The revolutionary procedure, which the hospital conducted earlier this month, aimed at treating severe mitral regurgitation, marks a significant advancement in minimally invasive heart valve therapy, now accessible to both public and private patients in Gauteng.

“This procedure is but an example of the many inroads we continue to make in the healthcare system through collaboration between the public and private sector. We have the advantage of academic hospitals which boast leading experts in many fields locally and internationally. This allows us to pioneer new ways of improving patient care,” Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, said.

MR is a leakage of blood backward through the mitral valve each time the left ventricle contracts.

A leaking mitral valve allows blood to flow in two directions during the contraction. Some blood flows from the left ventricle through the aortic valve, as it should, and some blood flows back into the left atrium.

The leakage can increase blood volume and pressure in the left atrium. The increased volume can increase pressure in the veins leading from the lungs to the heart (pulmonary veins).

Nkomo-Ralehoko said what makes the procedures even more unique is that, despite most of the patients having full medical insurance, a decision was made to perform these procedures in a controlled academic hospital environment.

This approach ensures that all cases are recorded in a national registry, allowing for the tracking of long-term outcomes and contributing to the advancement of structural heart disease treatment in South Africa.

The Abbott MitraClip device itself is a minute clip passed through a catheter, which aids the mitral valve in sealing properly, subsequently restoring normal blood flow through the heart.

An expert team is leading the procedures, which includes various cardiologists, radiographers, and cardiac technologists.

Their collaboration ensured the successful implantation of the MitraClip in three state-funded patients at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. This offered a life-changing solution for people suffering from severe MR.

The local team was further supported by two international experts, as well as an Abbott Therapy Proctor, providing expert guidance and sharing global best practices to ensure optimal outcomes.

It is said that with the hospital now being capable of doing this procedure, the Gauteng public healthcare system will be able to help patients with severe MR who were deemed high risk for surgery and could not be helped.

“With this procedure now accessible, we are able to help these patients get back to a normal life without having to expose them to the risk that open-heart surgery would have,” said Dr Arthur Mutyaba, an interventional cardiologist.

The Charlotte Maxeke procedure marks the fourth round of MitraClip implants in South Africa, following the first 12 successful procedures performed at Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals in Cape Town.

What makes this program unique is that both public and private patients have access to this cutting-edge therapy through these leading academic hospitals in the country.

At present, MitraClip therapy is not yet available in private healthcare facilities, making these institutions the sole centres for this life-changing intervention.