THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram has started a Centre of Excellence dedicated to advancing minimally invasive cardiovascular devices.
The centre will focus on the development of devices such as Transcatheter Aortic Valves, Abdominal Aortic Stent Grafts, Clot Retriever for stroke treatment, Patent Ductus Arteriosus Occluder and Peripheral Stents, which will be made ready for early technology transfer. The success of the centre is expected to bring down the cost of these devices which are currently imported.
“Minimally invasive therapy can be offered to patients with very high surgical risk and give a fresh lease of life to these otherwise inoperable patients. It has lesser morbidity, and risk of infection, and allows quicker discharge from the hospital.
Long term outcome of these devices is similar or better when compared to open heart surgery. The other advantages are a lesser requirement of infrastructure and quick patient turnover time,” said an official statement.
With societal changes and the fast life of current and upcoming generations, with less time to rest, cure and care, minimally invasive therapy would be preferred by patients.
Centre of Excellence is funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and is housed within the Department of Medical Devices Engineering, as part of the Division of Artificial Internal Organs at the Biomedical Technology Wing of SCTIMST.