HYGEIA: Groundbreaking procedure on patient with rare congenital heart defect

19 October 2022

A groundbreaking procedure for the Greek standards was successfully performed at HYGEIA, and concern endoscopic repair of Ebstein’s anomaly, a rare congenital heart disease, on an adult patient. 

The medical team of the 3rd HYGEIA Hospital Cardiac Surgery Clinic headed by Dr. Aristotelis Panos, cardiac surgeon and Director of the 3rd Cardiac Surgery Clinic, who was assisted by Dr. Kyriakos Bellos, cardiac surgeon and Associate Director of the 3rd Cardiac Surgery Clinic, and Mr. Silviou Vlant, anesthesiologist and associate of the Hospital. The successful procedure was performed endoscopically and the patient was discharged on the 6th postoperative day in excellent condition. 

Ebstein’s anomaly is a rare congenital heart defect which combines severe tricuspid valve regurgitation – due to displacement of the hinge point of the septal and posterior tricuspid leaflets towards the heart apex, so that the right atrium appears larger than the right ventricle – and presence of atrial septal defect, leading to heart failure if left untreated. 

During the procedure, the surgical team managed to fully repair endoscopically the tricuspid valve, with restoration of the leaflets to the correct anatomic level, exclusion of the intermediate space between the right atrium and right ventricle, and closure of the atrial septal defect. 

HYGEIA, a member of the Hellenic Healthcare Group, the largest healthcare provider in Greece, is paving the way in the area of heart conditions, having established the first dedicated private Heart Center in Greece. The Heart Center offers comprehensive services – from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and clinical/lab follow-up – for all cardiovascular conditions, whenever they develop in adulthood.