Pune: 75-Year-Old Gets New Lease Of Life Through TAVR At VishwaRaj Hospital

Doctors at VishwaRaj Hospital successfully treated a 75-year-old patient with severe aortic valve stenosis using Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery.

Interventional cardiologist Dr Suraj Ingole said the patient had a complex cardiac history, including bypass surgery 15 years ago and angioplasty two years ago after a heart attack. He was diagnosed with severe narrowing of the aortic valve, causing dizziness and breathlessness. Due to high surgical risk, the team opted for TAVR instead of conventional surgery.

In the procedure, doctors inserted a catheter through a blood vessel in the groin and implanted an artificial valve inside the diseased one. The one-and-a-half-hour procedure was performed while the patient remained conscious and responsive.

Hospital MD Dr Sujith Kumar said the patient was walking the next day and discharged on the fourth day, with a smooth recovery. A follow-up after one month showed the patient to be symptom-free.

Executive Director Dr Aditi Karad said this was the first such procedure in the region at the hospital and highlighted its affordability and importance in expanding access to advanced cardiac care.

The hospital team included anesthesiologists, technicians, and nursing staff who assisted in the successful procedure.