Page 62 - Masala E-magazine Vol 9 Issue 4 February-March 2018

Advancements in

Technology to treat a

‘Holey’ Problem

HO WT OTREATA‘HOLEINTHEWALL’

Sukumvit Hospital successfully treats a Kuwaiti patient by
fi xing the ‘hole’ in his heart wall, treating his atrial septal

defect (ASD) without requiring major surgery.

ith recent advancements in technology there is fi nally good news for
patients suffering from atrial septal defects (ASD), more commonly
W recognized as a ‘hole’ in the heart. The breakthroughs were highlighted
a few months ago when the Kuwaiti embassy referred a patient by the name of
Mr. Abdullah to Sukumvit Hospital for specialized treatment.

Mr. Abdullah, at the very young age of 34 suffered
from weakness, diffi culty breathing, swelling in the
stomach, and was unable to walk for more than
a few minutes. The medical team at the hospital
worked rigorously and around the clock trying
to fi nd a diagnosis. Mr. Abdullah was subject to a
number of procedures including blood tests, x-rays,
electrocardiogram (EKG), MRI and even a unique
ultra sound scan designed especially for the heart
known as the Transesophageal Echo (TEE). After
meticulously studying the patient’s results, it was
concluded that the cause was ASD, or in layman’s
terms a ‘hole’ in the heart.

But what is ASD? It is a ‘hole’ in the wall that separates the two upper chambers of
the heart or atria. This defect causes oxygen-rich blood to leak into the oxygen poor
blood chambers of the heart, causing a disruption in the natural fl ows. An amount
of the blood that should be fl owing into the left ventricle (lower pumping chamber)
from the left atrium is now also fl owing into the right because of the ASD. As a result,
more blood travels to the right side of the heart and back to the lungs rather than
throughout the body.

62 Masala Magazine ASD Occluder in treatment
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2018