Pulmonary hypertension is a severe, progressive disease with a gradual pressure increase in the rightventricle, development of insufficiency on the right ventricle with a lethal outcome. Despite the latest advancesand successes in the treating of pulmonary hypertension, many patients remain in a severe condition with high hospitalization and medication expenses.
There is a need for innovative methods of treatment. Creation of right-to-left interatrial shunt in these patients can increase systemic output, thereby improve transportation and oxygen delivery. However, used for this purpose balloon dilation atrial septostomy or stent implantation have significant drawbacks such as spontaneous closure of a created atrial defect, excessive desaturation, occlusion of an implanted stent, the inability to regulate the size of the shunt etc.
In January 19th of 2017 in conference hall of CardiologyClinic of MC Erebouni is held the presentation of the latest intracardiac prosthesis from German Occlutech company - Atrrial Flow Regulator (AFR). It is designed to treat diastolic dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. It is not only for compensating and improve severe condition of the patients, but also improve the quality of life of these patients.
The representative of Occlutech company Roman Shein presented to the specialists of Cardiology Center a new device -Occlutech AFR, its structure and functioning details (Fig.1):
“The device is implanted into atrial septum after it balloon septostomy to provide sustained dosedshunt of blood from the left into right atrium(Fig.2). We expect, that the use of this device will improve clinical characteristics of the patients: pressure decrease in the left atrium, shortness of breath decrease, improvement and stabilization of hemodynamics, improving the quality of life”.
Immediately after the prosthesis implantation on color Doppler examination the interatrial shuntis clearly identified.
As noted Roman Shein, at present the Occlutech AFR deviceis at the clinical trial stage and has been implanted alreadyin 20 patients in various leading European clinics. The findings are rather promising: improvement in hemodynamic and clinical parameters immediately after the device implantation, ascites and peripheral edemasdisappearingwithout increasing the dose of diuretics, pressure decrease in the left atrium, decreasingofshortness of breath, improving the efficiency and quality of life.
The representative of Occlutechcompany has also mentioned, that at present are ongoing clinical trials of the device. The company has its branches along the Europe (Switzerland, Belgium and others), cooperates with many other clinics in Russia, Georgia, the Ukraine, and continues to expand its geography.
By invitation of Occlutech company, Cardiology Clinic of MC Erebouni, as one of the leading clinics in the region, will become the bases for clinical trials of new Occlutech AFRdevice, which will enable the patients in severe condition with diastolic dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure to have an opportunity for intervention treatment and implant the device in value more than 4000 euros that will be provided by company free of charge.
