Q: What is PTMC procedure?
A: Mitral stenosis is a condition where the mitral valve is narrowed which may be one of the common and long term complications of rheumatic fever in the childhood or bacterial infection. Depends on the severity of the condition the patients may require PTMC procedure to repair the valve or valve replacement with prosthetic valve.
Q: What are the other names of Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy?
A: The other names are Mitral valvuloplasty (MV) and Percutaneous transvenous mitral valvuloplasty (PTMV)
Q: How long it will take for the PTMC procedure?
A: The procedure usually takes 60 min but the preparation time and the recovery after the procedure takes several hours. Patient has to stay at least 2 days in the hospital for the procedure and some patients require still more time to return home depending on their overall health condition.
Q: What are the complications of PTMC procedure?
A: After the procedure, the patient may go home within 2 days and has to report immediately to the medical staff in the following conditions such as
- Sudden onset of fever
- Swelling, bleeding, change in colour and pain at the groin
- Shortness of breath
- Weight gain or unusual swelling
- Chest pain
- Appearance of symptoms that were present before the procedure
Q: Does PTMC cure mitral valve disease?
A: PTMC is a procedure used to repair the condition called mitral stenosis caused by blocking of the mitral valve. The procedure will remove the block using a balloon and creates a pathway for the blood to flow without obstruction. It relieves the symptoms of valvular disease but does not cure the disease. In cases of severe valvular damage, the choice will be valve replacement with a prosthetic valve. After the procedure, some patients have to use medications for rest of the life. The patient has to strictly follow the lifestyle modifications with regular medical follow-ups.
Q: What is the success rate of PTMC?
A: The success rate is about 80-90%. The people treated with PTMC procedure will get immediate symptom relief. However, this procedure can not cure or make the heart valve normal. It helps to restore the blood circulation to the heart valves. After the procedure the increase in blood flow relieves the symptoms, decreases the blood pressure inside the left atrium and relieves lung congestion. This procedure has higher success rates with advancement in new treatment modalities.
Q: What tests would be needed before the surgery?
A: The procedure usually requires tests such as complete blood tests, chest X-ray, Electrocardiogram which should be performed at least a week before the procedure.
Q: Does the procedure cause severe pain and how to cope with it?
A: The procedure causes some pain and discomfort but can be easily manageable with medication and the side effects due to anaesthesia can be resolved in a day or two.
Q: What will be the recovery time for this procedure?
A: The usual recovery time will be 2 to 3 months after the procedure. Most of the patients require 4-6 weeks for recovery after the procedure.
Q: When can the patient resume old medications?
A: The patient may resume old medication after reaching home. However the doctor may add some new medications or change the regular medicines.
Q: What activities can be done after the procedure?
A: The patient can perform all normal activities without lifting heavy weights and not causing strain to heart. Daily walking at least for a short distance will ensure the normal circulation. PTMC is an optimal surgical procedure for mitral valve disease instead of replacement. Repair of the mitral valve will preserve heart shape and function and allows for a better survival rate with less mortality rate. The procedure often does not require lifetime administration of anti-coagulants. A low dose aspirin may be required in some patients with complications.
Q: What causes valvular heart disease?
A: There may be several reasons for development of heart valvular disease. Some of the causes may be bacterial endocarditis and rheumatic fever in childhood, calcification, congenital defects, degenerative disease and ischemia.
Q: What are the eligibility requirements for a medical visa to India?
A: Medical visa to India requires a valid passport and the treatment method approved in a hospital recognized by government of India with expertise in intervention cardiology. The de procedure is very economical in India compared to developed countries and can fly bach in a short time period. Two attendants may accompany the individual on a separate attendant visa with a maximum of 3 entries per year.