Cardiovascular Area

Aortic valves reparation and replacement

Pathologies involving aortic valves are the cause of many diseases; some of them simply require regular checks, other actually need the reparation or replacement of aortic valves themselves.
 

Aortic and mitral valve diseases require a mini invasive approach which brings many benefits for example it facilitates patients’ pre and post-operative recovery, while guaranteeing good levels of safety. Furthermore it can improve patients’ recovery time, so that it is possible to speed up their return to ordinary daily routine, without receiving anticoagulation therapy.

Diagnosis and treatment of Coronary Heart Diseases

The heart muscle can be affected by coronary heart diseases which decrease the blood flowing into it. Those diseases can be identified by diagnostic checks, such as electrocardiogram, echocardiography at rest and during exercise, or even by more complex examinations, for example magnetic resonance of heart or electron beam computed tomography

Angioplasty or by-pass are the most common operations performed with mini invasive techniques. The former is performed via radial artery, thus reducing potential complications common in this type of operations, the latter has no extracorporeal circulation, enhancing security, preventing adverse inflammatory responses and speeding up the postoperative clinical outcomes.

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Treatment of cardiac arrhythmias

Electrophysiology is a medical discipline which deals with arrhythmia, a condition in which the heartbeat is irregular being too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia).

When it comes to bradycardias, it is necessary to implant a pacemaker as a definitive measure to restore the normal values of heart rate.

Fondazione Poliambulanza is one of the few centres in Italy qualified to use implanted pacemakers. They are small devices useful so as to reduce the possibility of infections and concerns of an aesthetic order.

Vascular diseases

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is one of the most common vascular diseases. Along with heart diseases’ treatment Fondazione Poliambulanza has developed a mini invasive methodology, setting out an integrated approach of cardiovascular and cardiac surgery

The procedure is performed under a local anaesthetic and provides for implantation of an endoprosthesis, a flexible synthetic hose installed within the groin through a small incision.

The device is installed through the catheter, a thin rubber tube carrying the endoprosthesis itself which is removed at the end of the operation

Biomedical engineering is currently studying more flexible endoprosthesis, able to treat cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm in which patients suffer from further aggravating factors, for example a tortuous aorta or short aortic neck for which traditional endoprosthesis cannot be used.