MUMBAI: TAVR or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, a percutaneous procedure, was successurgery sfully performed at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai. A 78-yearold man who could not undergo open heart valve replacement surgery due to co-existing health issues including past history of bypass surgery was treated using this advanced technique.
The patient has recovered well and will be discharged soon. The 78-yearold patient, a resident of Nerul in Navi Mumbai was suffering with severe breathing issues, even on mild exertion since last six months affecting his daily routine.
TAVR also known as TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) makes it possible to treat on patients who were previously deemed unsuitable or too high risk for surgery. Dr, Sanjeev Kalkekar, Consultant, Interventional Cardiology, Apollo Hospitals explained, “In TAVR, a miniaturised valve is inserted through a catheter, a thin flexible tube, from the groin into the heart. The deployed valve reaches the base of the aorta at the site of the previous aortic valve.
The doctor then opens a balloon which inflates the valve pushing aside the old valve and overcoming the stenosis or narrowing. The entire procedure is conducted under general anaesthesia or mild sedation, takes about an hour as compared to 5-6 hours required for an open heart surgery.”
