Safer way to treat congenital cardiac defects<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Parents may feel that their whole world has turned upside-down
\nwhen they find out that their children have been diagnosed as
\nhaving congenital cardiac defects.<\/p>\n
Although such defects of the heart can be treated by surgery,
\nmost parents have a hard time deciding whether to let their
\nchildren undergo such an invasive procedure. Even worse, parents
\nwho decide upon a non-surgical alternative have had to reach
\ndeeper into their pockets, as children must be sent abroad in
\norder to receive such treatment.<\/p>\n
There is new hope now, as an alternative, non-surgical
\ntreatment for congenital cardiac defects has been made available
\nhere, particularly for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus
\n(PDA) and atrial septal defects (ASD).<\/p>\n
PDA is an abnormal condition in which the arteriole fails to
\nclose after birth, while an ASD is a leak in the atrium of the
\nheart.<\/p>\n
As a matter of fact, the treatment has been available in the
\nregion for five years, but Indonesia, unlike neighboring
\ncountries Singapore and Malaysia, was unable to adopt the
\ntreatment due to the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
A pediatric cardiologist from the University of Indonesia, Dr.
\nSukman Tulus Putra, said there is no data about the prevalence of
\ncongenital cardiac defects in Indonesia. However, the average
\ninternational figure is about eight to 10 babies in every 1,000
\nbirths are born with such defects, or about 40,000 babies
\nannually.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from the expensive surgical cost, most parents are
\nworried about letting their babies undergo surgery, so they send
\ntheir children abroad to receive this less invasive alternative
\nto the traditional surgical methods,\" Sukman told the press at
\nSiloam Gleneagles Hospital in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang.<\/p>\n
He added that this was also the reason why only 10 percent of
\nbabies with cardiac defect received treatment.<\/p>\n
The alternative treatment is available at Cipto Mangunkusumo
\nGeneral Hospital (RSCM), Siloam Gleneagles Hospital, and Harapan
\nKita Hospital, as well as a few others.<\/p>\n
The catheterization procedure, Sukman explained, is very
\neffective for certain types of congenital cardiac defects, such
\nas PDA and ASD.<\/p>\n
Another expert, pediatric cardiologist Dr. Hasri Samion at
\nMalaysia's National Heart Institute (IJN), said that in his
\ncountry, the treatment has been performed with about 2,000
\nsuccessful cases in the past five years.<\/p>\n
IJN, in cooperation with RSCM, is providing training and
\nsupervision on the non-surgical treatment for pediatric
\ncardiologists in Indonesia. Samion was recently in Jakarta to
\nsupervise the treatment, which was performed on 15 children with
\ncongenital defects at Siloam Gleneagles Hospital through a
\npartnership program.<\/p>\n
The procedure, Samion explained, is performed by inserting a
\ncatheter into the femoral artery and guidiing it to the area of
\nthe heart to be treated. The operator then releases a device,
\ncalled an amplatzer occluder and made of polyester and nitinol,
\nat the location and the device will expand to an umbrella-like
\nshape that will block the leak, enabling normal blood
\ncirculation. Finally, the operator removes the catheter.<\/p>\n
The 45-minute procedure, Sukman said, is very safe. It is
\nrelatively cheaper compared to surgical procedures, and the
\ntreatment lasts a lifetime.<\/p>\n
\"Unlike surgery, which usually takes about two hours followed
\nby several days at the hospital, this treatment requires only one
\nday's hospitalization,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Additionally, unlike surgery that can leave a scar on the
\npatients' chest, this non-surgical method would only leave a tiny
\nmark on the leg.<\/p>\n
The treatment, however, cannot be performed on patients with
\nseveral leakages or those with too big an opening, which can only
\nbe treated by surgery. \"In some cases, small defects can close
\nnaturally as the child grows, but in other cases, there needs to
\nbe immediate intervention to save the patients' lives,\" he
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Sukman said the symptoms that commonly accompanied the problem
\ninclude shortness of breath, fatigue, especially when drinking or
\nbreastfeeding, and a stagnant body weight. Mothers who notice
\nsuch conditions, he added, are advised to consult to their
\npediatrician immediately.<\/p>\n
As for the cause of such cardiac defects, it remains unclear
\nbut may be triggered by several factors that occur during the
\nfirst trimester of pregnancy. These factors include TORCH
\ninfections (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes),
\ntaking certain drugs or jamu (traditional herbal medicine), and
\nexposure to radiation.<\/p>\n
\"The first trimester of pregnancy is a crucial period for the
\ndevelopment of vital organs like the heart, so the pregnant woman
\nmust be extra careful,\" he warned.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/safer-way-to-treat-congenital-cardiac-defects-1447893297",
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