PURPOSE:

Our experience with surgical treatment of heart diseases in Indians living in the Amazon rain forest in primitive stages was reviewed.

METHODS:

From 1988 to 1995, 18 patients underwent cardiovascular surgical procedures at the São Paulo Hospital of the Escola Paulista de Medicina. Seven patients had valvar disease, nine congenital heart defects, one submitral aneurysm and one arrhythmia.

Thirteen Indians came from tribes of the Amazon rain forest area:

three from the Xavante, two from Waiapi, two from Tucano, two from Macuxi, two from Mayoruna, and one of each tribe of Xikrin, Guajajara, Terena, Surui, Galibi, Cinta-Larga and Pataxó.

RESULTS:

We performed 22 operations, with two hospital deaths. Follow-up was possible in 87.5 of cases, with one late death. The majority of cases were due to congenital heart defects and in this series it was noted the absence of operations to treat coronary artery disease. The incidence of valve disease was higher in accultured or semi-accultured Indians.

CONCLUSION:

The surgical treatment of cardiovascular disease has made possible to the surviving indians to return to and be accepted by their fellow tribesmen.