Barzilai Medical Center Performs Its First Mitral Valve Reconstruction Without Open-Heart Surgery
For the first time, the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon has performed a mitral valve reconstruction using minimally invasive catheter technology. This procedure allows doctors to treat the condition without opening the chest cavity.
Doctors gained access to the heart through the femoral vein. Previously, such patients typically required complex open-heart surgery followed by a lengthy rehabilitation period. However, the new transcatheter reconstruction significantly shortens recovery time and minimizes risks. The first patient was discharged and sent home the very next day after the successful intervention.
Head of the Cardiology Department, Professor Zach Rozenbaum, noted:
“Now, residents of southern Israel can receive high-tech cardiological care close to home, without having to travel to the center of the country.”
The hospital continues to introduce modern treatment methods, strengthening the cardiological services of Israel’s southern region. Similar procedures (analogous to the MitraClip system) are already utilized in the country’s leading hospitals, but this marks the first time it has been performed at this particular medical center
