Johannesburg: The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) has performed the first successful MitraClip implants on three State-funded patients in the province. The minimally invasive procedure is designed to treat Mitral Regurgitation, a heart condition where the mitral valve does not close properly, causing blood to leak backwards into the heart.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Gauteng Health Department explained that the MitralClip itself is a ‘minute clip passed through a catheter, which aids the mitral valve in sealing properly, subsequently restoring normal blood flow through the heart’. Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, welcomed the successful completion of the procedures, which were carried out last week, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in healthcare.
Director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory and Interventional Cardiologist at CMJAH, Dr. Arthur Mutyaba, who was part of the team performing the procedures, noted that with this new capability, more patients living with the condition and ineligible for open-heart surgery can now be assisted. Dr. Mutyaba highlighted the reduced risk for patients compared to traditional open-heart surgery.
The department revealed that, to date, at least 15 MitraClip procedures have been completed in South Africa, all performed in public institutions. The procedure at Charlotte Maxeke marks the fourth round of MitraClip implants in South Africa, following earlier successes at Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals in Cape Town. The program is unique as it provides access to both public and private patients, although it is currently not available in private healthcare facilities.
The Gauteng Health Department emphasized the procedure’s benefits, including drastically reduced recovery times, often just one or two days post-insertion. This makes it particularly beneficial for elderly or high-risk mitral regurgitation patients who are unsuitable candidates for open-heart surgery. The successful procedures will be recorded in a national registry to track advancements in treatments in South Africa, contributing to the advancement of structural heart disease treatment in the country.