Heart keyhole surgery could benefit thousands more Australians

Two major trials have revealed thousands of Australians with faulty heart valves could benefit from keyhole surgery.

Traditionally, age and pre-existing health issues limited surgeon’s options when treating the common heart condition.

Ian Phillips was deemed too high risk for open heart surgery, the standard method to replace diseased and worn out aortic valves.

But under local anaesthetic, the 83-year-old had the far less invasive procedure where doctors used his arteries similarly to road networks, delivering a new valve and pushing the old one out of the way.

“I’m absolutely staggered at how they’ve done it,” Mr Phillips told 9News.

“The patient is awake and the procedure is much shorter,” Associate professor Tony Walton added.

“Ultimately if it is left untreated, it becomes fatal.”

While the procedure has been reserved for patients too frail or sick for open heart surgery, the trails have indicated younger, low risk patients may also benefit.

“There’s some data to suggest that there’s actually less risk of death and stroke when you have transcatheter valve replacement compared to surgery,” Professor Walton said.

The procedure is currently funded through Medicare for high-risk patients only. The latest evidence could prompt a widening of its use and the need for more funding.

“We are keen to make sure these valves last a reasonable amount of time at least ten years,” Professor Walton said.