Page 8 - Seniorstoday June 2022 Issue
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thick and rigid with restricted mobility. Node) is called Sick Sinus Syndrome and
They may also start leaking. The aortic and can lead to sudden stoppage of the heart
mitral valves are most commonly affected for a few seconds causing blackouts and
leading to a strain on the left side of the sometimes death.
heart. This manifests as breathlessness, There can also be various types of fast
light headedness and sometimes chest pain. or slow abnormal heart rhythms. After
If valve dysfunction is severe then the valve evaluation many patients may need a
may have to be replaced. Permanent Pacemaker together with
Surgical replacement of the diseased valve medicines to control fast heart rhythms.
and occasionally a valve repair have been A not uncommon abnormality is an
the main treatment modality (open heart abnormal heart rhythm called Atrial
surgery). Recent advances in technology Fibrillation (AF) The upper chambers
now permit the aortic valve to be replaced contract at rates above 350 / min and
without open heart surgery. The technique there is no meaningful contraction of
is called TAVR — Transcutaneous Aortic the upper chambers. Blood stagnates in
Valve Replacement. This technique is now these chambers and clots—these clots are
available in Mumbai. then propelled into the circulation where
Transcutaneous Mitral Valve they can cause major strokes and other
Replacement / Repair is in the pipeline organ or limb dysfunction. AF needs to be
and will be available in the not too distant identified by various methods, particularly
future. if it is intermittent, like Ambulatory
ECG monitoring. Once identified, the
arrhythmia needs to be controlled with
medications or other Electrophysiological
treatment. The patient will have to take
lifelong Anticoagulants —blood thinners—
to prevent clots in the event of AF
‘Transcutaneous Aortic Valve Replacement’ technique is recurring.
now available in Mumbai The conduction system of the heart can
Senescence of the Electrical Generating undergo age or disease related dysfunction.
and Conduction System of the Heart: This will primarily manifest as blackouts /
The heart generates its own electricity. sudden death. The treatment is to implant a
The powerhouse or pacemaker is situated Permanent Pacemaker.
in the right upper chamber of the heart. Serious electric disturbances (Ventricular
From here the electric impulse spreads Tachy-Arrhythmia) can occur when the
along specialised “wires” to reach the upper heart muscle is damaged by lack of blood
and lower chambers of the heart. There supply, a disease process or there is an
is a special transmission station between unstable electric substrate from birth.
the upper and lower chambers called the These lethal arrhythmias may be treated
A-V node. The lower chambers receive with powerful drugs or need the support
electricity via the left and right bundle of an Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator
branches. (ICD) which will provide a shock to the
Failure of the Power Generator (Sinoatrial patient’s heart if the lethal arrhythmia
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