Italian hospitals achieve complex minimally invasive cardiac procedures

A 67‑year‑old woman with severe aortic valve stenosis and coronary disease underwent a combined transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and coronary angioplasty in a single session at the Policlinico di Bari. The percutaneous approach avoided traditional open‑heart surgery despite the patient’s multiple comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity and an aortic valve bicuspid anatomy. She recovered quickly and was discharged home.

In a separate case, a 50‑year‑old woman with a history of lymphoma and cerebral and hepatic angiomas suffered a massive pulmonary embolism in Trapani. Doctors at Sant’Antonio Abate Hospital performed the region’s first successful pulmonary thrombo‑aspiration via catheter, stabilising her haemodynamics and preventing death. After eleven days she was discharged in good condition and will continue anticoagulation therapy. Both procedures highlight the growing expertise in advanced interventional cardiology within Italian hospitals.