First live demo on open heart surgery performed at Asian Hospital

MANILA, Philippines – Groundbreaking live open heart surgery and other innovative heart diagnostic techniques were performed recently at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center before an audience of medical practitioners, a first for the hospital and one of the highlights of its National Heart Month celebrations.

Held during the medical practitioners’ forum, the live demonstrations were part of Asian Hospital’s commitment to elevate medical practitioners’ education on the latest heart disease treatments and procedures.

“These live demonstrations proved Asian Hospital’s commitment to bringing world-class medical procedures in the country for the benefit of our Filipino doctors. The techniques featured which were skillfully handled by some of the country’s top heart surgeons were definitely an extraordinary opportunity for the participants who want to hone their knowledge and skill of the medical profession,” said Theo Seiler, chief executive officer of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.

Dr. Jorge Garcia, world-renowned heart surgeon and cardiac specialist and founding chair of Asian Hospital, stated that the demonstrations introduced medical practitioners to today’s advanced heart surgery procedures. “The procedures we’ve demonstrated gave a glimpse of what Asian Hospital has been bringing in the country and adopting in recent years to enhance patient care. The procedures were truly innovative, the facilities state-of-the-art — all to introduce our local doctors to the world-class services that Asian Hospital can offer.”

The live demonstrations, which were televised and shown to participants at the training room of the hospital, featured two advanced procedures. The first part presented a diagnostic coronary angiogram procedure of a 60-year-old woman with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, and dyslipedemia or high cholesterol level. Live from Asian Hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Dr. Ernesto Chua and Dr. Joaquin Emilio Fausto Jison performed the angiogram using a catheter to take a closer look at the patient’s heart. Moderator Dr. Saturnino Javier explained that catheters offer a more flexible, safer approach in diagnosis than surgery because it’s non-invasive and allows doctors to perform a variety of tasks using the catheter’s many different sizes and shapes.

The second part of the live demonstrations featured an open heart surgery of a 27-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse characterized by loud systolic murmur. Heading the procedure was Dr. Jorge Garcia himself, along with another cardio expert Dr. Joseph Barril, with Dr. Roger Lim as moderator. Dr. Garcia and his team first performed a MAZE procedure, a cutting-edge technique in the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, the irregular beating of the heart.

Next, the surgeons performed the mitral valve replacement to replace the heart’s defective mitral valve, the valve that lies between the left atrium and left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart. This valve allows blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle and then prevents the backflow of blood into the left atrium during ventricular contraction. By replacing the valve, the doctors aimed to maintain the natural anatomy of the mitral valve.

Through the live demonstrations, Asian Hospital and Medical Center hopes to elevate the medical profession and the quality of healthcare in the country.