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KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 – As terrifying as it may seem to many, a heart transplant is a complex life-saving surgical procedure.
This is an operation in which a patient's failing heart is removed and replaced by a healthier donor heart.
Without this, most patients diagnosed with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease could not survive very long.
According to Dr. Azmee Mohd Ghazi, director of the Heart Institute's Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Clinic (NIJ), heart failure has become more serious than cancer, but many people do not are still not aware of its gravity.
He added that Malaysians were developing heart disease younger than their counterparts in other countries.
"This is mainly due to a sedentary lifestyle badociated with high consumption of sugar and unhealthy foods," he added.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health announced that heart disease remained the leading cause of death among Malaysians for 13 years from 2005 to 2017.
The same report also pointed out that the increase in the death rate from heart disease was at a worrying stage, with a 54% increase over 10 years with more than 13,000 deaths in 2017, compared to 8,776 in 2007.
Dr. Azmee pointed out that heart failure, which is often caused by coronary heart disease or a previous heart attack, is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough to maintain blood flow and meet the body's needs.
According to him, 50% of patients with heart failure usually die within five years of diagnosis.
With advances in medical technology over the last few decades, he said the life-threatening disease was no longer the end of the world for patients.
He added that it could be treated by different options depending on the severity of the disease.
Rescue treatments
In addition to medications and a patient management system, Dr. Azmee said that the IJN offered various treatment options to help increase the life expectancy of patients.
One of these treatments is the use of a pacemaker for patients with abnormal heart rate.
The small device is used to send electrical impulses to the heart muscle to maintain a regular heart rate and rhythm.
For people with more serious heart failure who can not be helped by medications or lifestyle changes, Dr. Azmee said that a heart transplant or mechanical implantation of the heart could be the option. more effective in prolonging the patient's life significantly.
The IJN conducted the first heart transplant in December 1997 and continued to progress through various stages.
In 2005, the center successfully completed the first mechanical implantation of the heart in Malaysia as a gateway to transplantation.
Dr. Azmee stated that the mechanical heart was a great alternative to help patients on the waiting list for a heart transplant or those who are not comfortable receiving a transplanted heart.
Despite the high prevalence of heart failure in the country, Dr. Azmee said that the IJN usually only performs one or two cases a year at most.
"It's mainly because there are not enough donors and few patients with heart failure are ready for the transplant," he added.
At present, the hospital has about 20 patients on the waiting list to receive a new heart.
To date, IJN has performed 23 heart transplants and is the only hospital in the country to offer heart transplantation and mechanical heart implantation with a highly qualified team.
Although heart transplantation has a high price, Dr. Azmee said that the entire cost of the procedure, medication and follow-up is covered by government funds and the IJN Foundation.
However, this does not apply to mechanical heart implant surgery.
Featuring state-of-the-art state-of-the-art medical equipment, the award-winning center has become a highly sought-after product by patients from Indonesia and other countries in the region.
The hospital recently gave new life to a young Indonesian patient following a mechanical pump implantation procedure.
Go under the knife
Because there are not enough donor cores, patients requiring a heart transplant must go through a rigid selection process.
Dr. Azmee pointed out that heart transplantation required careful physical and psychological evaluation to ensure that the patient's body was sufficiently fit to undergo the operation and to accept the foreign organ.
"There are various criteria to consider, including the age, compatibility and well-being of other organs of the patient to avoid acute rejection and postoperative risks," he added.
Dr. Azmee pointed out that one of the most serious risks of organ transplantation is rejection, which occurs when the body's immune system detects an unknown organ and attempts to destroy it.
"Therefore, to reduce the risk of rejection, we make sure that patients take immunosuppressive medication throughout their lives to prevent the immune system from attacking the transplanted heart," he added.
However, because the drugs overwhelm the body's immune system, patients were at high risk for infections, kidney failure or even lymphoma cancer if patients did not show up regularly for follow-up appointments with their team. of care.
Dr. Azmee stated that heart failure was a chronic condition that required lifelong management even after a heart transplant.
"Patients must begin to change their lifestyle and control their heart and general well-being very often," he added.
Although most recipients can lead a normal life after surgery, Dr. Azmee said the only restriction was that they had to take their medications daily in order to avoid acute rejection and possible inadequacy heart.
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