First Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation at The Indus Hospital

Breakthrough in Pakistan’s Medical History

The Indus Hospital (TIH)’s cardiac surgery team has successfully operated a 15 year old patient for a complicated cardiac condition. It was a specialized surgery which was done for the first time in Pakistan. The minimally invasive surgery was performed at the Indus Hospital, Korangi. Dr. Arjumand Shauq, Cardiac Surgeon, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK and Dr. Mehnaz Atiq, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon performed the surgery.

Fifteen-years-old Fatima belongs to a lower middle class family. Her father is a rickshaw driver who can barely meet his daily expenses. Fatima had a congenital multiple cardiac condition. She had a hole in her heart and was missing a pulmonary valve along with the deformed main pulmonary artery. Fatima was operated when she was just two and a half years old. She went through an open heart surgery in 2014. During that procedure a tissue valve was implanted. The hole was mended. While Fatima was growing, her medical aids started causing more complications.

To save Fatima from the potential harms of recurrent surgery, doctors decided to do a percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation. The valve was planted through a catheter. It was a minimally invasive and less painful surgery with a short recovery period.

The Indus Hospital is known for providing absolutely free and quality healthcare to all its patients. Fatima was also operated free of cost. Her family is happy to see her speedy recovery and they hope that she will remain healthy.

Dr. Mahnaz Atiq said, “Fatima already had surgeries and implanting a valve could be risky so we followed a revolutionary idea which was never happened before in Pakistan. It’s a great achievement for the Indus Hospital. It’s a very expensive procedure which Fatima’s family could never afford otherwise. We are happy that we saved a life and opened a new path for future surgeries.”