A medical team led by senior interventional cardiologist Dr.Rajpal Abhaichand of G.Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital (GKNMH) successfully replaced the narrowed main valve of the heart of a 73 year old Coimbatore woman without even opening the chest through a procedure called TAVR in 1.5 hours, saving her life from serious heart issue.

 

Dr.Rajpal addressed a press conference on Wednesday at GKNMH,and conveyed that the woman was admitted to the hospital with severe breathlessness in August, 2022. Upon doing an Echo scan, the narrowing of the main valve of the heart was identified. 

 

This main valve is crucial for the supply of blood to various important organs on the body, and since the valve is narrowed, the flow of blood to these organs were less than what was needed.

 

Hence the patient was recommended an immediate surgery, and she opted to go for open heart method. 

 

When her chest was opened, her whole valve was found to have calcium deposits, and the valve had become brittle. 

 

Since it is brittle, the usual way of replacing the valve by cutting the narrowed portion and placing an artificial one and stitching it with the rest of the valve became impossible. 

 

So the doctors closed the patient's chest and recommended TAVR (Transfemoral Aortic Valve Replacement) method.

 

Under this method, the doctors made a 3-3.5 mm hole on the right thigh of the patient, and entered the heart region. They dilated the existing valve and created enough space to insert the artificial Evolut Valve. 

 

This valve started functioning immediately and took blood to other parts of the body in the needed natural quantity. 

 

The patient got discharged after 2 days. The valve has 12-15 years of efficiency.

 

 

Dr.Rajpal said calcium deposits in the heart happen due to not only age factor but also due to Blood Pressure, smoking more cigarettes, and due to high cholesterol in the body. It usually happens in a person after 55 years of age. 1 in 100 people will have such heart issue. 

 

He added that while heart related issues are increasing every year, people from Tamil Nadu and Kerala have the highest awareness about Heart diseases when compared with other States, and are getting admitted to Hospitals when they have issues.