Kazakhstan has achieved a breakthrough in cardiac surgery: for the first time, operations were performed using bioresorbable magnesium scaffolds that temporarily support a vessel and then completely dissolve in the body. Four interventions were successfully carried out at the Research Institute of Cardiology, reports infohub.kz.
As the Ministry of Health clarified, the operations were performed as part of a masterclass attended by an invited expert from Germany, Dr. Stylianos Pyxaras, a specialist in interventional cardiology.
A magnesium scaffold is a temporary vascular frame implanted into a narrowed coronary artery to restore blood flow. Unlike a traditional metal stent, it gradually resorbs and disappears after fulfilling its function, leaving no trace.
“This technology allows the vessel to undergo a recovery period with the support of the scaffold, after which it gradually resorbs. This opens up additional opportunities for natural restoration of the vascular wall,” emphasized Alexey Kolesnikov, head of the X-ray endovascular operating unit at the Research Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.
The ministry noted that all four operations were successful and were performed free of charge under the mandatory social health insurance (MSHI).
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Kazakhstan conducted a series of minimally invasive operations on patients with severe mitral regurgitation using TEER technology. The interventions were performed on a beating heart without opening the chest or using cardiopulmonary bypass.
Previously, doctors at the institute performed a complex operation on a Kazakhstani patient with severe aortic valve stenosis, who literally suffocated with every movement.