Brisbane hospital's world-first keyhole operation replaces open heart surgery
Queensland surgeons have pioneered a world-first operation, helping some older Australians avoid open heart surgery through a revolutionary procedure.
Surgeons at Brisbane's Prince Charles Hospital worked to repair a woman's leaky heart valve using new technology - the PASCAL clip.
It's a device more advanced than anything before it, and through keyhole surgery, it's much less invasive, according to Professor Darren Walters.
"This trial is about the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation in patients with congestive cardiac failure," he told 7 News.
The regurgitation happens when the heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward in the organ.
"This new treatment, we can seal up the degree of regurgitation and prevent recurrent admissions to hospital and improve their quality of life," he said.
Today's patient is only the second in the world to receive the treatment, following Barry Posner, who had surgery at the Prince Charles last month.
Before his operation, Mr Posner suffered severe heart failure.
"I've been breathing better and feeling a lot better in myself," he told 7 News.
Without the treatment, there were no other options.
"This is still an experimental treatment, but it could be better than invasive surgery for high risk heart failure patients who may otherwise be deemed untreatable," Professor Walters said.
"The way of the future is minimally invasive high technologies that are targeted to address common problems like this."
