Global conference on advances in heart transplant held

MUSCAT: To learn about the recent advances in the treatment of heart and to spread awareness, an international symposium was held by family physicians based in Muscat.

The conference was held recently at Oman Sheraton Hotel and was attended by well over 80 doctors. They included cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, internists, anaesthetics, general surgeon and a large number of family physicians from both private and government medical establishments.

Dr R. Ravi Kumar, consultant, associate director heart failure and transplant programme Gleneagles Global Hospital, Chennai, and Yunus, managing director, Global Treatment Services, Bengaluru, helped in arranging this seminar. Dr Ravi described the different causes of heart failure, the different investigations needed to diagnose, how to assess the condition of the patients, and how to treat them.

He then narrated the conditions in which a patient can opt for heart transplant and how the simplest heart operations have great benefit in improving the quality of life. Many can return to their normal life activities and a few can even return to playing sports. He introduced the different approach and methods of heart transplant followed with case presentations and videos.

He emphasised the importance of getting a donor on time and spoke about the latest treatment with “artificial heart pumps” for people who can’t find a donor or refuse transplant. In the interactive session attended by cardiac surgeons and cardiologists they raised some queries which were answered aptly by Dr Ravi.

They also shared their experience and suggested how to motivate people for organ donation and how to deal with organ transplantation.

The legal issues in organ transplant were also discussed. Dr Sanjay Dalal, coordinator of the event, promised to carry on with more such international conferences and thanked the visiting team from Gleneagles Global Hospital, Chennai.